Galvánfa Shoe Box project 2019

On one sunny spring morning, the Könyvtár Klub was strangely silent. There was no coffee or students scurrying off to class. Just a small collection of teachers, students, and community members shuffling back and forth between the R building and a van loading shoe boxes of all shapes and sizes. Leaving behind Budapest, our small group set off to Gilvánfa for a new lesson. After a few hours on the highway, our vans turned down smaller, winding country roads. Eventually, we stopped in the small village of Gilvánfa. We were greeted warmly by our hosts and welcomed into a small building which served as the center of the community. In the interior sanctuary, the walls were lined with trees. Not just any trees, but family trees showing the history of a village through the people who lived there. Our hosts then explained to us the background of the village and the history of their work there. Through the development of a school and other programs the townspeople have access to new educational and work opportunities. After this brief history, we took a walking tour of the town and visited a few families in their modest homes. It was remarkable to witness how proud the parents were to talk about their children’s schooling and how supportive they were of it. Our trip to Gilvánfa was to encourage these children and celebrate the educational success with them. It was also a trip to learn about a different way of life far from the big city of Budapest. After our tour of town and house visits, we were treated to a wonderful lunch (with the best hand-made bread I have ever eaten in my life). Then, the family day activities began. Families with children of all ages gathered for games, rides, and food. The peak of the day was when it was time to hand out the presents to the children. They lined up, smiling from ear to ear, eager to see what surprises were inside their boxes. Watching community members call out the name of each child and hand-deliver a present to them is a moment I will never forget. Despite our different backgrounds, we were all open to try to understand a different way of life and work together for the common good. As we slowly prepared to leave, children ran up to say their last goodbyes. It was touching to see how some remembered members of our group from last year and were already looking forward to seeing the group again next year. As I walked out of the building, one boy ran up to give me a hug and one pink paper rose. It will be a reminder of my first trip to a rural town in Hungary, learning about this special village of Gilvánfa, and a smile that needed no translation.

                Thank you to everyone who generously donated gifts for us to bring to the children of Gilvánfa. Thank you as well to all who took part in this special trip with us. We look forward to seeing how these children grow and learn throughout the years. If you would like to participate in the future, join us!