Epsom woman prepares for mercy mission to Bulgaria

Amanda Davis, from Lower Kingswood, will drive one of 10 trucks in a humanitarian convoy carrying toys, medical equipment and other goods to orphanages in Bulgaria.

The 20-person convoy, organised by the Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid (CWUHA) charity, will take two weeks to carry out its mission.

No stranger to such trips, Miss Davis faced some very tough moments in her last two convoys, which took place in 2005 and 2006.

She described meeting deprived families at their homes in Moldova, where “the smell caught at the back of your throat” and a young mother was so malnourished she was “all skin and bones”.

Miss Davis also came across bare-footed children with “tiny little hands ingrained with dirt and faces that seemed lifeless, like a sketch from 'Oliver'”.

The 40-year-old said her past experiences did not mean she was ready for Bulgaria. She said: “I don't really think you can completely prepare for it.”

But she added: “The joy and satisfaction you get from seeing the children's faces on arrival with the convoy makes it all worthwhile.

"It truly is an amazing and life-changing experience.”

If past experiences are anything to go by, it may be that Miss Davis's last day will be her hardest. In a report she wrote during her Moldovan convoy, she said saying good bye to the staff at a Moldovan hospital had been “very upsetting”.

She wrote: “We had done what we had set out to do, but you felt that you really wanted to do more.

"The only saving grace is that you had to feel gratified and thankful that we had brought a little happiness and laughter to those we had met.”

Miss Davis will be travelling to Bulgaria with a colleague from law firm Simpson Millar LLP, where she works.

For more information on the CWUHA visit www.cwuha.org.

You can also donate to the charity at www.justgiving.com/cwuha/.

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