BOSNIA CONVOY
Feb 19th 2009 saw us leave for a charity aid convoy to Bosnia and Hercegovina - this is some background and a report of this trip.
WHAT IS BARF?
BARF was formed after Neil and Simon Newitt took their Land Rover on an aid convoy in December 1997 to Bosnia. However, the people they went with were so disorganised that the trip was a complete failure. They were so horrified by what they saw there that they decided they wanted to do as much as they could to help these people get back on their feet. They decided to set up a new charity, B A R F, on their return, in order to do the job properly. Since December 1998 we have organised 20 plus convoys delivering hundreds of tons of desperately needed humanitarian aid. All participants in our convoys not only donate their time and their vehicles free of charge but they all contribute to the funding of the convoys.
Despite having no external funding, BARF has supplied over 300 tons of aid since 1998. This has enabled us to help a number of schools, 1 Vocational Training College and 3 hospitals and clinics. As well as supplying clothing, shoes, water carriers and other basic necessities to destitute families in this country. All of this aid was sourced through appeals, begging and scrounging in our spare time.
BARF is not a front line relief agency but focuses on sourcing and supplying equipment for schools, colleges, and various children's organisations. Since January 2006, with the advent of new laws, we are no longer permitted to import any kind of medical equipment and, thus, can no longer assist hospitals, clinics, surgeries etc. With an unemployment rate of in excess of 50% and little industry the Bosnian government has little tax revenue to plough back into the country and so the educational and medical sectors are almost entirely dependent on outside help to rebuild them.
THE GENESIS PROJECT
Genesis Project is a local, non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organization, set up in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in June 1996, with main goals:
* to educate children and adults about ecology and environmental protection,
* to educate children and adults about gender equality,
* to reduce the negative impact that mines and UXO have on children and their communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
* to spread the idea of interactive education through live puppet show performances depicting different educational topics (ecology, environmental protection, mine risk education, children rights, prevention of addiction diseases, etc.),
* to educate children and youth about healthy life styles,
* to develop and support various co-existence initiatives throughout B&H,
* to strengthen communities with the purpose of teaching people about freedom of speech, democracy, basic human rights,
* to help war traumatized children and their families,
* to build up democratic governance.
In the past, as now, Genesis Project has targeted mainly rural areas of Republika Srpska / Bosnia and Herzegovina, trying to help people in numerous ways, starting with setting up libraries and finishing with puppet show performances for the children.
Recently, the majority of Genesis Project activities have been focused on the whole of Republika Srpska and some parts of Federation BiH. Genesis Project staff is comprised of local residents.
In 2006, Genesis Project is funded by Delegation of European commission to B&H, UNICEF B&H, CIDA, International Orthodox Christian Charity - IOCC and Balkan Aid Relief Foundation.
In previous years, the European Commission, Brussels through the Dutch foundation "Mala Sirena", UNHCR, USAID, ECHO, Open Society Fund-Soroš, International Rescue Committee, IOCC and The Salvation Army have funded Genesis Project.
LANDMINES
This is a section from the UN News website with reference to the landmine problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina
UN agency project aims to clear landmines from Bosnia and Herzegovina
10 March 2004 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today announced a multimillion dollar project to help Bosnia and Herzegovina - Europe's most heavily landmine-affected country - eliminate the deadly threat posed by those weapons.
Surveys have so far identified an estimated 670,000 mines and 650,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXOs) at 10,000 locations, blighting more than 4 per cent of the total territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to the agency. Only 10 per cent of these areas have been cleared.
CONVOY MEMBERS
Simon Perkins 53, Sleaford Lincolnshire with his 1999 300TDI Discovery Safari, a relief dairyman. Passenger Nick Johnson 41, Mareham Le Fen, Lincolnshire, professional photographer.
Rob Hammond 33, Turvey, Bedfordshire with his 1991 200TDI 110, computer engineer and BARF trustee.
John Torring 60, Bournemouth an aircraft engineer in a 1990 200TDI Discovery with 230,000 miles on the original engine and his brother David Torring 58 an insurance broker from Wimborne.
Charles May, 30, a shopkeeper from Sailsbury in a 1998 110 Defender with a 300 TDI engine, who travelled to Bosnia in 2001 in a different convoy. He has also travelled overland to Australia in a Land Rover.
Norman Deakin 37 from Donnington on Bain Lincolnshire, Group Business Manger for Thurlby Motors and his dad Mike Deakin, 62 a retired publican from Penrith. Driving a 2002 TD5 Discovery in Tangiers Orange.
THE CONVOY
The 19th February 2009 saw the start of the 27th convoy by the 'Balkan Aid Relief Foundation' to Bosnia and Herzegovina. BARF is a charity set up by Neil Newitt a Land Rover enthusiast to deliver aid to Bosnia. Twice a year a group sets off to do the 3000 mile round trip, one in October and another in February.
This was to be my 3rd trip with Simon and we met up with the other members of the convoy just outside Dover and proceeded to the freight yard and the customs formalities. The aid we were carrying included computers for schools, clothes for children, nappies and disabled scooters wheel chairs, etc. The average weight of the trailers was 2.5 ton and the aim is to get this aid to Bosnia in 4 to 5 days. We meet up with an organisation in Bosnia called Genesis whose offices are in Banja Luka. They are UNHCR funded organisations that help to educate Bosnian children about the dangers of land mines. BARF has been working with them for some time to provide aid that is needed and more importantly to get it to the places that need it.
Once past customs we were on the ferry and steaming for France and at 6.30pm we were heading towards Dunkirk on the E40 through Belgium and on into the night towards Aachen. Snowstorms meet us as we near the German border where we finally arrived at 11.30pm and settled in for the night.
Friday morning was grey and miserable, early morning vehicle checks revealed a problem with Rob Hammonds water pump, which had to be stripped and replaced. We set off at 12.00 driving south on the E40. This delay put us a little behind schedule but with miles of Autobahn we were confident of making up the time.
"Accident! Bad one." The dreaded words no one wants to hear over the CB, we pull into services and await news. It sounded like Norman in the TD5. After 10 minutes Norman arrives at the services and explains how his trailer had jack knifed 360 degrees and ended up across the autobahn after getting stuck in the tramlines in the slow lane. Fortunately nobody had hit them and they managed to limp of to the hard shoulder and get sorted. A sobering lesson for us all. Running repairs on the TD5 complete and we head south.
We eventually managed 273 miles on an incident packed day where the snow was getting worse the further south we went and more altitude we gained. We stopped at Bonny's Diner junction 73 on the E35, food showers and an early night in the roof tents were called for.
It was Saturday and day 3, we started for Salzburg on the A9. The whole of Germany was out today and was on our bit of road. This congestion lead us to try alternative routes through the snowy mountains but we eventually ended back up on the autobahn with a long drive to Villach, we arrived at 11.30pm. An enjoyable drive around southern Germany and Austria but not too much distance covered.
Sunday saw us press onto Bosnia, it started off as a lovely bright day, once we were through the Karawanken tunnel into Slovenia the mist rolled in. Slovenia is a member of the European Union but was part of the former Yugoslavia that managed to protect itself from the worst aspects to the break up of this entity - we were getting closer to our destination.
12.20pm and we arrived at the Croatian border, this is the start of customs formalities as we were leaving the EU. 2.30pm we are through and heading towards Zagreb. It takes a couple of hours and we are close to the Bosnian border and this is where you start to see some of the damage left over from the war. Destroyed buildings and minefields either side of the road that are well signed. 4.50pm we are at the Croatian side of the border and are ready to enter Bosnia.
The route into Bosnia is over a bridge and into the town of Gradiska, we have travelled 1360 miles. Our vehicles are left in the customs yard for the night and the adventure begins. We bump into our shipping agent, as we are waiting for a taxi, a chap called Jovan who insists we don't use a taxi and calls his brother to give us a lift to a good hotel. A rather battered and old VW Passat turns up and we squeeze in and hope the brakes work. We arrive no worse for wear and eventually leave at 3.00pm the following day when the vehicles have cleared customs (Monday) and head for Banja Luka. Total mileage to the Genesis office 1383 miles.
These convoys are intense in terms of the distance travelled and test people and their Land Rovers and if we thought that it was time to put our feet up when we arrived at our destination, we were wrong. At the Genesis offices we were greeted by the team and got straight on with unloading the trailers into the building. One of the trailers was then reloaded to distribute the aid whilst we were in Bosnia and 50 computers were then taken to be stored at a different location for loading of software before being taken to different schools for the children to use. We were finally able to sit down at 9.30pm for some food.
Day 6. Tuesday saw us up and out for 8.35. This time 50km south of Banja Luka to the family association in Mrkonjic-Grad. This gives us the opportunity to drive through the snow covered mountains to reach our destination.We arrive midday and are met by members of the association, our guides for the aid deliveries are Buco (chubby) and Drasko both who have excellent English and work for Genesis. Whilst in Mrkonic-Grad we meet the Kudra family who have 5 children, the father is away working on construction in Slovenia. After some PR photography we are off to our final point of call, the town of Sipovo 20km further South.
Another family association in Sipovo where we see a donated UK fire engine just down the street. The family association insist on us stopping for Slivovitz a local home made plum brandy and then onto a meal at a local restaurant with a representative of the Red Cross. We had a marvellous meal including fresh trout caught locally and the passengers had more plum brandy. We emerged bleary eyed into bright sunshine and head the 70km back to Banja Luka.
Day 7 Wednesday we were visiting several places today to drop off aid so an early start was essential. First port of call on the outskirts of Banja Luka was to a man called Damir Subotic who had set up the Laktasi family association. This had only recently been established as the social care system in Bosnia is often rudimentary and as he explained to us they have to help themselves. We were then off to see an old friend of BARF, Milena Obradovic head of a paraplegic centre covering the whole of Bosnia, a quick delivery of electric wheelchairs, a quick drink of strong Bosnian coffee with her and we are on our way again. North West to Prjedor where we delivered aid to another family association and were going to appear on TV. Much of the aid is distributed around Bosnia by Genesis as they travel to schools for their mine awareness puppet shows. However while the Land Rovers are here we can deliver bulky items to different locations and use is made of this while we are in the country. With the reward of a trip to Mostar on Thursday and some off roading Friday everyone is keen to get the work done.
Day 8 Thursday and we say our goodbyes to the bubbly Dijana Pejic the program coordinator at Genesis and with one more aid drop to a women's refuge we set off for Mostar, a good 4hrs away. A drive through marvellous mountain scenery and a slow descent into the old city of Mostar.
There is evidence of the war throughout Bosnia but none more so than in the divided cities such as Sarejevo and Mostar. Most people can remember the old bridge (now rebuilt) that was destroyed and there is evidence all around the city of the fighting and damage. We check into a hotel in the centre and are keen to explore and see the rebuilt old part of the town - now classed as a world heritage site. We find a small local restaurant on a cliff by the river and settle down for an excellent local meal consisting of some form of mince and cabbage. An excellent and tasty meal with a few beers thrown in for good measure.
Friday we are up early and as well as the local beggars on the street we bump into a local freelance tour guide Ibrahim Sabamac who Rob Hammond met on a previous trip. We explore the town with him and end up back at his home in a resettlement area, his family home was destroyed and many members of his family were killed during the war. He lives in a small single story apartment with his mother and sister. We have coffee with him and look at his family pictures from happier times. The disturbing thing is it could have been my sister on holiday in Spain and anybodies family party that we see. One thing is for certain no ordinary people here have gained from the war.
After distributing some sweets to the local children here and saying our goodbyes we are our way for some off roading in the mountains around Mostar. After a good drive and some lunch it is decided to head for home across the mountains, the only trouble was the roads although marked on the map were not to a high standard, ideal Land Rover country. That was until we got higher and higher and the snow got deeper, we passed a Shepherd who said the snow was up to his chest in sign language, we pressed on until we could go no further, on the way back down after pulling a couple of people out of the snow we met the shepherd who had come up the mountain in his Yugo to check we were OK. With the light falling and after a bit of sledging we were off the mountain heading back to Mostar and the long way back to Banja Luka.
We arrived back at the hotel too late for anything apart from sleep and Saturday morning we set off for home, the first night sees us stop at Irschenberg Southern Germany, a regular convoy stop for a good meal and celebration of successful convoy. Sunday we drive through Germany and into Belgium after a night at a truck stop we arrive in Dover Monday morning and say our goodbyes before heading home.
The trips back are usually quicker, there are no customs formalities and lighter trailers and it is at this time you get a chance to reflect on what you have seen and done. The five vehicles had done a total of 15000 hard miles and the only problems were a water pump and a UJ. Every trip leaves more questions than answers for me, but if what we are doing is helping ordinary people in Bosnia then it is great and very worthwhile. The number of people who go back again and again to deliver aid is a testament to this and although tiring and hard work it is also tremendous fun in a packed 12 days.