The Romanian Aid Foundation & Asociatia Neemia

Our latest load was initially refused acceptance in Romania due to changes in the procedures for importing goods from outside of the EU. As a consequence we are unable to accept any more goods for packing and onward transport until we have reached a full understanding and agreement with the relevant authorities. We anticipate that we will be able to resume our activities at the beginning of September.

The packing team at Horley will be taking a break during August; similarly, the warehouse at Billingshurst will be closed except for pre-arranged deliveries. On this occasion, the black collection boxes will also be closed pending a better understanding of the new import regulations.

This year represents 30 years since the first delivery to Romania and 25 years since the formal establishment of the Romanian Aid Foundation and Asociatia Neemia. The Horley team arranged a special tea and reminiscences event at Horley Baptist Church on the 24th July when Beni and Ionela, as representatives of AN, were able to give an update on our activities in Romania.

Last month one of the loads from the UK was inspected by the Romanian customs authorities and several items were found that did not comply with import controls which came into force shortly before the lorry arrived. The load was eventually released but this was a expensive and stressful experience that teaches us that we should not become complacent about God’s blessings on our activities. The principal items of concern were:
Food: The import of foodstuffs into Romania now requires certification of origin and preparation; this is impractical for small donations so we can no longer accept individual donations of food. Large donations where the certification is available can be accepted, strictly by prior agreement.
Toys: Certain toys can be considered dangerous to children, especially when there is an absence of adult supervision. At present, toys are subject to a complete ban but we have comments from a number of organisations that use toys that we have supplied, asking that we find a way to continue to provide them with suitable items.
Clothing: Garments that are dirty or unserviceable can compromise the whole load. The established packing teams do a good job of sorting-out unsatisfactory items but pre-boxed deliveries will have to be inspected.

We will update our guidelines after we have a better understanding of the regulations. In the meantime, Asociatia Neemia has sufficient stock in its warehouse to allow aid distribution to continue for several months.

This month’s featured photos

• Matching names with faces
• RoAF-30
• Received with thanks

Last month’s statistics

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, July 2022