I
have been involved with Romania since April 1991, becoming an inaugural
member of another group for two years. This group visited Sfintu Gheorghe
in Covasna, just north of Brasov. The group worked in a children's home
and also helped several schools in the area. In 1993 I decided to leave
the group and set up my own charity supplying community hospitals and
their dispensaries in the villages with fluorescent lights. I registered
with the Ministry of Health in Bucuresti as an NGO ( Non Governmental
Organization) working in România. This was necessary due to the
large amount of aid that was disappearing in România in the early
days and still goes on today. I discovered that if the correct procedures
were used along with creating the right paper work then 
disappearance
of aid could be controlled. One of the main problems I also discovered was
the lack of one of life's basic essentials, taken for granted in the west,
adequate lighting in all institutions. The decision to be made was, which
institution to concentrate on. With the help of The Romania Information
Centre at Southampton University, The Ministry of Health in Bucuresti,
Romanians in România and Britain and other NGO's it became clear
than most of the community hospitals, along with other types such as TBC,
Camin (home), Sectia Exsterioare (external sections), were getting little
or no help from the majority of NGO's.
The other problem facing me was which area of România
should I concentrate on. Traditionally Transylvania (the west) and
southwest of the country has always been the wealthiest part of the
country, and is in stark 
contrast
to the east and southeast (see Hospitals Page). As a teacher I can only
visit România in the school holidays (see Schools Page), so I
decided to concentrate on community hospitals in the east of the
country, visiting twice a year at Easter and August (the hottest part of
the year). I have made many friends and contacts and most of my visits
now are completed on my own. As I have worked in conservation for many
years and a licensed bat worker since 1983 I have become involved with
several scientists working in România (see Scientists Page).
When I travel to România I catch a
ferry (Norfolk Line is the cheapest, SeaFrance will usually give you a
50% discount for humanitarian aid if you are registered in UK, if you
are not, try P&O Stena) and leave Calais at midnight. Do not forget
to obtain a VIGNETTE from the Austrian border, this is for motorway tax,
or you will have to pay a heavy "on the spot" fine for not
having one. You can purchase one from the German garages near the border
(in cash with DM), and sometimes they are cheaper (approx.
107 ATS for 10 days). I then drive all night and all the next
day, stopping for rest periods, until I reach the services on the
Hungarian motorway before Budapest around 9:00pm. I sleep in the car in
the lorry park, its comfortable, safe (the police patrol the service area
all
night looking for prostitutes) and has toilets and a McDonalds if you do
not have your own food. The next morning I have an easier drive through
the rest of Hungary to the second largest city from the border, Cluj.
Here I stay with a friend for one night. I then leave in the morning and
take a comfortable drive across the rest of România to the east
and the next hospital.
All the paperwork for the Hungarian border(
exchange rate £1=430 forints) is completed by myself. The EV
documents required by Hungarian customs can be completed personally,
which can save you money by not having them completed by the Pannonsped
at the border. The EV's can be obtained from most stationary shops in
Hungary for a fraction of the price Pannonsped will charge you. As from
the 1 Jan 2001 you no longer can get a duty exemption letter from the
embassy. The cargo list and the letter of acceptance of the charity must
be presented to the customs on entry. The shipments are no longer
exempt from customs duty. You will have to pay a deposit of 30% of the
value of the shipment which will be reembursed when you leave Hungary
for Romania, minus 3% of the 30% handling charge. Road tax must also now
be paid, which is calculated at 3 forints for each ton of the shipment
and then multiplied by the distance travelled in Hungary.
FOOT & MOUTH: Notice
from British Embassy in Hungary: "All visitors must declare on
arrival any unpasteurized milk and dairy products, for example milk,
butter, curd cheese, sour cream and also meat and meat products which
are not tinned. Any such products should be handed over for destruction.
The customs authorities at the borders have announced that they will
begin disinfecting of vehicles arriving from Western Europe using a
high-pressure disinfectant spray." Hungarian Embassy also states
that currently no shipments of clothing are allowed into Hungary.
Romania Embassy states that no food shipments are allowed into Romania.
You have to pay 50 000 lei for the spray.
The
Aviz document from The Ministry of Health in Bucuresti which was
replaced by a special letter from the same department are no longer
needed. From the 1 Jan 2001 visas are no longer
needed and you can stay for up to one month.
The paperwork for customs
has now changed (for information on generating your own paperwork go to
Cleaford. You will have to go through Spedition, the same as in Hungary,
the private company will generate the paperwork required and you will
have to pay them for this, approx. £9.00.
What you must get for your paperwork is a Fiscal Certificate
from the institution you are going to.There are several
banks at the border where you can change your money, check the different
banks Exchange Rate, as they differ( now at £1=40422
lei). It now seems that the banks on the border are offering less
than the banks in Romania. I have found the Agricultural Bank gives the
best rate (even better than exchange offices). If you stop for fuel
( now brtween 12500
& 16000 lei /l for diesel) in Oradea WATCH
OUT for non Romanians asking for help by changing large notes
(DM etc.,) because they have a problem. These will only land you with
counterfeit money. Always change your money in a bank and keep the
receipt. Do not allow any police to inspect you foreign money, they are
not allowed to do this and they are most probably bogus. Some of the
police will stop you for a traffic offence? and then ask you to pay in
hard currency, don't. If you have any problems with the police, ask them
to take you to the police station first before handing over any money.
After consulting The Ministry of Health in Bucuresti,
Romanians in România and Britain and other NGO's it became clear
than most of the community hospitals, along with other types such as
TBC, Camin (home), Sectia Exsterioare (external sections), were getting
little or no help from the majority of NGO's.
The Trust is
Running an exciting project at the moment to raise funds.
This is landing a light aircraft on Manston Runway in Kent.
One of the biggest problems small charities have is
raising enough money to help the Trust
carry out each project so if you would like to help the
Trust by donating or fund raising I
can be contacted by e-mail:lrh@romania-on-line.net
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