1968 Technical activities of the Team
1968 Monthly reports: A summary of main topics, events, visitors, etc.
1968 Jan
For health reasons Mrs. Breunisse with the two children had to go back to Holland causing that civil engineer Wessel Breunisse also left the Team. No more technical students will come from Holland. The Athenian board of directors of the old people’s home had asked an Athenian architect to change the appearance of the building, they thought it to modern looking. This caused a lot of consternation on the island and with the family Kassimatis in Tasmania and Mr. Koksma’s pride as architect of this building was deeply hurt. During a heavy storm, the waves in Kapsali raised that high that they smashed the seaside cantilever of the harbour building from underneath!
1968 Feb
An ecumenical youth winter work camp from West Frisia, Holland, arrived to plant trees. In 4 weeks time, up to the 27th, despite a lot of rain, they dug holes and planted nearly 15.000 tree lets. Lodging had been sought with approval of the Bishop inside the monastery Myrtidia, however the committee in charge did not allow this and the youngsters were housed outside. In Chora a tree planting afternoon was held with school children and the campers. With some help of a hole digging machine they planted 450 tree lets! Governmental forester Yannis Zerlendes with 30 workmen is planting trees and nearly the whole tree nursery at Myrtidia is emptied. The cheese factory is progressing well as is the brick laying for the old people’s home. The governmental work on the central water supply system has been subcontracted to six or seven contractors. A meeting with Rev. Ken Baker, Geneva Teams Secretary and Mr. Anastasios Vitsos, Greek Teams Director, concerning the future of the Kythera Team.
1968 March
The winter work campers left the 1st of March. Cheese factory and old people’s home are progressing. Many small projects, but lack of money. The Team’s slogan is still “more animals, more trees”, and they also propagated to keep record of what one was doing in one’s garden. Teenager Olymbia Venardos and young family Tzannes showed the Team their bookkeeping of their farming results to see which result was productive. Farming started late this year due to too much rain. A chemical spray may control the abundant growth of weed. In the experimental garden sowing and growing under plastic cover is in progress. As an experiment in Paleopolis were planted potatoes and onions partly in the shadow of olive trees and partly in the full sun. About pruning prevail strange ideas. All vegetable seeds from “CARE” were again distributed over 150 people.
1968 Apr
About the in Holland by all Christian churches held action “Kom over de brug” (Come across generously) for the home economic school for girls in Mylopotamos and the possibilities that the Dutch Department for International Help will supply the remaining necessary funds. Readying the necessary paperwork for the application for the funds of this school project. Restart of the in Greek language written instruction paper “The Servant” on agricultural matters. Status of Fratsia cheese factory project. Due to lack of sufficient funds other smaller projects cannot proceed as they should. Miss Ida Blok went to Crete and met with other development teams, such as the WCC Team at Iraklion and the Mennonite Team at Kolymbari. Some experience with plastic tunnels for use as hot houses.
1968 May
A one week’s visit from two team members from the Swiss “Christliche Friedensdienst” at Lefkada. From Holland by the end of May arrived for two weeks Mr. and Mrs. Hornstra, in 1967 they were the main founders of the Dutch “KVN”, which provides financial support for many a Team’s project. They both were also leaders of the 1st summer work camp for the Livadi water supply project in 1966. Bishop would like to see plans for an old house in Chora being converted into a boarding house for gymnasium pupils including lodging for old people who need some care. The announcement of a short visit of vice president Mr. Patakos caused a lot of people to whitewash their houses and to think of all kind of petitions. This visit however was cancelled. Fortunately, during the last year farmers have got several governmental social provisions; Greece still exists for a great part of agricultural industry. This year in spring the government took over the tree nursery at Agios Theodoros which nursery was a Bishop and Team’s creation 3 years ago. The nursery provides a lot of work for local people, but still many people are afraid that their fields will be taken away to be planted with trees and thus causing also quite some obstruction. The cheese factory has the electrical system installed and the walls are plastered. A lot of road building is being done, at Platia Ammos, for a monastery, for a NATO facility and for private persons. The last rain fell the 16th of March, afterwards it got extremely hot causing fear for a bad harvest.
1968 June
Last year’s canning of pears proved to be successful. Many people ask if they may use the canning machine, unfortunately it is very difficult to get more of these machines. Home economist Miss Kapolla also asked to borrow this canning machine to show and teach the women of the villages. Is more land cultivated this year? Do people at the Peloponnese tend their land better than at Kythera? About a normal Monday morning for the Team, comings and goings at the Team House: Mrs. Koksma writes down all appointments for Mr. Koksma. Personal (financial) help should not be given, but how can one look away if somebody is in distress, so in most cases some help from somewhere has to be found and or help is given by the Archimandrite as representative of the Bishop. With Mr. and Mrs. Hornstra a lot of existing projects were visited. Future plans were also discussed and will be presented to the Bishop and Mr. Vitsos. A trip was made to the southern part of Lakonia to see what differences existed when compared to Kythera. The American Church World Service is working at Elafonissos. An important visit of the Prefect of Piraeus: the government takes over the reforestation and its budget will be increased considerably. A Dutch couple, Mr. and Mrs. Wensink of the Greek Team at Lapsida, came on request of Mr. Vitsos, to study the program of the Kythera-Team. Another visitor was Mr. Zacharias Patrikos from the committee for development of the Peloponnese and Crete. The Bishop’s boarding annex old people’s home in Chora was estimated to cost 2.000.000 drachms.
1968 July
At Livadi the summer work camp for concrete road building left after 3 weeks. At Fratsia the summer camp was busy with the water supply and a finishing touch of the cheese factory. The plastic pipes had arrived just in time last month. Fortunately, electricity also was brought to Fratsia by the government. Civil engineer Frank Berghuijs, former team member for 6 months in 1967, had come from Holland to be the technical leader of the summer camp work in Fratsia. Also at Agia Moni Monastery some work for the water supply and discharge was done. The experiment of canning “kondoules”, a tasty pear variety, proved to be a success. The only one canning machine is in Livadi canning vegetables. Grasshoppers are causing a problem. From Israel arrived six different types of eucalyptus and from Lefkada came cedar seeds. On request of the Bishop a survey of the properties of the Myrtidiotissa monastery at Gythion was made. Mr. Vitsos paid a routine visit to Kythera.
1968 Aug
The summer camp at Fratsia left August 9. Mr. and Mrs. Kuin from Holland, sent by the Baptist Church of Holland, came to Kythera for 10 days. They were visiting all Dutch people who were working for the WCC in developing countries. Mr. Kuin is civil engineer, but for 15 years now he is a publicist and studies development work. At the agricultural fair at Fratsia several new modern things for Kythera were shown. The Team’s propaganda for one-axle tractors resulted for this year that a company from Athens came to show their models and the possibilities how and where to use. Harvesting at the experimental garden was a busy period. Extra canning machines are needed as much fruit and vegetables are rotting away on the island as the local market is overfed.
1968 Sep No report made, due to vacations
1968 Oct / Nov / Dec
In Athens in September, before going on vacation, a lot of meetings concerning the Mylopotamos school. On the return to Greece the team at Lapsida, north of Ioannina, was visited. Back in Athens too many offices were visited. Governmental budget for reforestation at Kythera in 1970 will be 2.000.000 drachms! The Ambassador from The Netherlands Dr. Baron van Lynden and Mrs. van Lynden visited Kythera and were shown around the Team’s projects for 3 days. At the fraternal Workers Retreat at Chania the bishop of Kissamos and Seline was met again. WCC Teams conference was held at Heraklion. Acquaintance was made with the Archbishop of Crete. Acquaintance with Rev. John Ross was renewed, he is helping Mr Vitsos coordinating the Greek teams and is liaisons officer for all Mediterranean teams. At Kythera too many new applications for support and no money for new activities. A Norwegian church had sent money for the inventory of the cheese factory. From the National Grange of Kansas came money for furniture for the Mylopotamos school, money for another stable at Drymona from the Dutch society “KVN” which was collected by a day of hiking various distances by hundreds of people, young and old. Mention of the “Epiretis”, the Team’s stencil with comments and advices for the people of Kythera, this time concerning the olive tree. The olives have a high percentage of oil this year. Too much rain in November and December may cause a lack of food for cattle next year. Sowing under plastic might be of value for the farmers.
