The Romanian Aid Foundation & Asociatia Neemia

The day-to-day work of the AN team has continued this month with the distribution of clothing and household goods received from the UK. In addition, some supporters have taken a particular interest in one family or another and we are able to forward gift boxes sent specifically for those families.

Special funding during this month has allowed AN to purchase some locally-sourced foodstuffs to supplement the rice and other food received from south Wales. These items are always well-received and the effort involved in sending them is very worthwhile.

A major involvement this month has been the provision of an indoor bathroom and additional living space for a rural family. This project has been sponsored from the UK but AN oversees the workers and arranges for the materials as required. Whilst food and clothing are immediate essentials for many households, this type of project provides a long-term benefit for one family at a time.

The Europe-wide surge in energy prices has had a serious impact in Romania with almost all commodities reflecting the increased costs of production and transport. Many households will lack the resilience to cope with the rising cost of domestic energy once the colder months arrive.

The majority of rural households, and many urban ones as well, still depend upon firewood for heating and, in many cases, for cooking too. Some public buildings such as village schools also rely on firewood for heating. As previously mentioned, EU policies designed to protect the natural forests have made firewood both expensive and difficult to acquire legally. Nevertheless, specific sponsorship has enabled us to obtain a limited supply which we will be sharing with the most needy families.

In late November another load was been dispatched, combining the efforts of our Swansea and Horley teams. The use of pre-packed pallets simplifies the logistics of assembling the load prior to export, but the ease of documentation and handling has to be offset against a reduction in the quantity of goods in each load, when compared with loose-loading.

This month’s featured photos

• Family Support
• Home Improvements
• Food and Warmth

Last month’s performance statistics

These statistics give a snapshot of our aid-related activities last month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

Stats notes:
– Joiners are new registrants this month, Leavers are are those whose latest recorded donation was 12 months ago.
– Some households may receive more than one donation during a month (eg, repeat donations of food).
– Items shown as 0 or as “…” are awaiting final returns for the month.

 
Previous month’s news, November 2021