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You
We are all volunteers. The most exciting and useful thing
you can do, if you are able to, is raise some money, prepare
a vehicle, and come along! Let us help with the paperwork
and get you addicted to aid work! Naturally, there are also
plenty of ways you can help from home too. Read on...
Money
Boring, but essential. We are proud of our low-costs
and high efficiency. But fuel and ferries are not free, and
for us to seriously contribute to re-development, we must
purchase things like tools, seeds, and building materials
in the destination's local economy. We also have the recurring
costs of keeping our vehicles in proper order - insurance,
tax, maintainance and so on.
Our
current guide cost for a trip to Ukraine is UK £700 per vehicle.
For information on how to make a donation, please see our
contact page.
Trucks
We have our own vehicles but inevitably they need to be replaced
periodically. Most useful are 3.5 to 7.5 tonne panel
vans, like Sprinters, Transits and Dodges. Within the network,
we also use smaller vehicles like Land Rovers, with trailers.
Larger vehicles are welcome, but not always able to travel
directly to where they are most needed, and can incur huge
charges and delays at corrupt (or impoverished!) border crossings
and ferries. We are always looking for mechanics willing
to offer a little time, en route and at home!
CB/VHF/UHF
Radios
Whenever new volunteers join a convoy, we must arrange communications
equipment. Mobile telephones are prohibitively expensive abroad,
so we always need more suitable mobile radios. If you have
redundant equipment, we may well be able to modify it for
our frequencies.
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Educational Supplies
Our current focus; paper, pens, picture books, dictionaries,
even English language novels are helpful. We also take toys,
blackboards, and all sorts of other school and childrens home
equipment. And we have friends in Romania who are developing
a gym in the childrens' home they support. We regularly
receive and update computer equipment from local firms,
which eventually form classroom networks.
Tools
and Hardware
...and their skilled users! We are involved in improving
heating systems, toilets, and generators. The
people there have the skills to build, but their places of
work and infrastructure have been looted and destroyed. We
do also welcome skilled people, however, because re-training
is an issue in some areas and we can offer to be involved
with skills workshops.
Medical
Equipment
Always welcome, although naturally all supplies must
be in-date. People working in the healthcare profession never
cease to amaze us with the redundant equipment they find.
Naturally, we wish the UK healthcare system was running at
peak efficiency. But where equipment is redundant, we're happy
to take it! This will almost certainly go to Kosova because
unfortunately the customs restrictions make it very difficult
to transport such things to Ukraine.
Baby
Supplies
Please check with us, because our needs here vary. But
we often take nappies and toiletries! Also small toys and
messages from individual children really bring out a smile!
A successful scheme involves the classic "shoe-box"
idea, where each child sends a box with a photo, a message,
a toy, and of course a pound coin taped to the box to make
sure it gets there! In return, our newsletter will let you
see the children who receive these gifts, and where possible
those children may write back to their new friends!
Tents,
bedding, and clothing
Items which are "high value per weight" are
ideal - also things which restore a little dignity to families
on the move such as new underwear.
Food
We also take a certain amount of food on each trip, which
is distributed amongst foster families and to orphanages.
Everything we accept must be within it's normal use-by
date. We very much welcome kind donators who regularly purchase
just one extra tray of some dried commodity or tinned food
at the cash-and-carry, for example.
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