Speaking as a newcomer to the convoy, I find it takes a long time to wind down after being in Kosovo. In fact my thoughts are constantly returning there. Maggie, Jaki, Anna and I stayed on a couple of days after the rest of the flying team had left, along with Jeff and Ian. During our flight home Maggie gave us a vivid account of her stay with Lumi's family. She had introduced us to his mum and sister at the airport, and tears were shed when we heard of their hard life style, with five family members living in just one room.
This is a short extract from one of the Easter Convoy Diaries that you can read in full by clicking on the link alongside. As you will see, not all the volunteers drive all the way from England to Kosovo. Some fly out to help with the sorting and distribution. Please take a little time and read some of these diaries and see the pictures they took on the way and during the distribution of this so essential humanitarian aid.
On the left is an extremely interesting compilation of images by one of the convoyers, Paul Barber who also provides the soundtrack in the style of Elvis Presley. Click here to view larger
Founded in 1999 we are a 100% voluntary, humanitarian aid charity whose team members raise their own funds, obtain donations of aid, transport that aid in convoys of lorries twice a year, and give it out directly into the hands of the people who need it the most. The donations are made by the public, churches, clubs, schools and companies. The convoys often carry out humanitarian work whilst they are away. Hope and Aid Direct has been involved in projects such as rebuilding bombed schools, renovating orphanages, and delivering aid for third parties who would not be as welcome in some areas.
Volunteers come from every corner of the UK and from all walks of life. Whilst in recent years most of our work has been carried out in Kosovo, we have also distributed humanitarian aid in Romania, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia. Four of our team joined workers in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters seen by any of us. We also have an ongoing project in Nigeria.
No one involved in Hope and Aid Direct takes a salary, or charges for their time and many of our team do not claim back any expenses that they incur.
Volunteers give up their spare time to raise the funds needed to hire, fill and then take trucks on the convoys, often using up some of their precious annual leave to travel to the Balkans and distribute the aid.
This code was developed and agreed upon by eight of the world's largest disaster response agencies in the summer of 1994 and represents a huge leap forward in setting standards for disaster response. It is being used by the International Federation to monitor its own standards of relief delivery and to encourage other agencies to set similar standards.
The Everyclick mouse paid a visit to Charles Storer, one of the founders of Hope and Aid Direct, to let him know how many people are earning money for the charity by using Everyclick to search the web.
