The Romanian Aid Foundation & Asociatia Neemia

The need to comply with social distancing and health protection measures means that the preparation of our news updates has been affected; in particular in the number of photos that we can take and in keeping up-to-date with our donation statistics. Normal service with be resumed – but when?

In the UK, work has continued on re-configuring the existing stocks of aid in accordance with the new labelling regulations. This is a time-consuming task and we are still unable to accept any further donations just yet. Our public packing sessions are still suspended and other donations must be by prior agreement only.

The warehouse in south Wales is filling up mainly due to the transfer of materials kept in domestic garages during the winter. The structure itself remains a hazard due to the falling plasterboard lining of the ceiling which threatens to fall on the boxes stored underneath. The dampness has temporarily gone because of the dry weather though it is only a matter of time before it returns. We really do need an alternative storage facility that is affordable, dry and secure.

A small team has been at Billingshurst over the last 3 or 4 weeks, re-checking all the boxes, bags etc of goods. They have made good progress, weighing and labelling them. There are still some items in Horley which need to be transferred to Billingshurst and then there is the task of numbering and weighing the furniture that remained after last year’s loads. Nevertheless, the team is close to sending a final manifest to Dorohoi for evaluation and finalising so that they can load and send the first lorry of the post Brexit era! This first lorry will be somewhat of a test of new procedures; the ‘fallout’ from Brexit may yet have far-reaching consequences.

AN’s review of activities during 2020 is now available on our website. It gives an overview of our various types of activity during the past year, in terms of the types of help offered and the numbers of people helped. In summary, over 900 households were helped during the year, in addition to the services. There is a link to the document in the menu on the left – but finish reading here first!

April 2021 has been officially recorded as one of the coolest Aprils in recent years. It has also been relatively dry. Now we await the warm wet spring that would kick off the growing season but the forecasters suggest that we will switch directly into a hot summer. The residents at Casa Neemia have been preparing the grounds and planting outdoor crops such as the potatoes and vegetables that will form a staple of their diet later in the year. The cooler weather has delayed the start of our polytunnel season so there is now some catching up to do.

At our warehouse, too, the grounds have been spruced up with the help of Casa Neemia residents, most of whom are happy to be involved in the wider range of AN activities. A neighbouring farmer usually prepares the land at the warehouse for us; ploughing, disking, seeding, etc but these activities have been a little later this year. We intend to plant another crop of maize there once the farmer has prepared his own land.

The stocks of clothing at the warehouse are starting to dwindle. With the change of season we also need to change the type of clothing that we offer. It is a blessing that the supply of winter clothing has lasted well but summer clothing is running short. We appreciate the endeavours that the teams in the UK are making to prepare new loads and address the uncertainties of transport.

Once again we want to express our thanks to all those who have contributed to our aid activities, and we look forward to being able to continue to help those in need in this oft-neglected area of Romania.

This month’s featured photos

• Sponsored food donations
• Working the grounds at Casa Neemia
• Animal, Vegetable and Mineral

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.

 
Previous month’s news, April 2021