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Help needed

Pfeffer

Pfeffer

Hi all,

I'm sorry for posting this here as I'm often annoyed by the random money begging crowd funding requests that seem to be sprouting like weeds these days. I usually distrust charities as they not always have the best reputation.

However, I just learned that SARS Romania launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund a rescue vehicle. When in military service, I made a 3 week trip to Romania and took part in a large search and rescue excercise with these people. I spent these three weeks eating state of the art MREs, had my Bundeswehr gear and brand new issued climbing gear. What did I do with it? I had a three weeks learning experience and watched people make due with 20 year old gear, eating sheep cheese and smoked meat from lunch boxes. Especially in the rural area, time stood still. They live without electricity, gas and social security. Old farmers even drove donkey carts over slippery mountain trails. These people are far out of reach for normal ambulances, and help usually comes too late.

These were the volunteers that only earned about 500 dollar a month and still invested all of their spare time and found funds to help others. They played an important role in the disaster relief after the 2010 moldova floodings and other (local) disasters. They are mostly highly motivated youngsters (20-30yo) which are trained and supported by professional SAR and trauma people.

I was really surprised that they launched a crowd funding, as they were to proud to even except a cold beer after some exhausting days in the mountains. It's one of the very few charities that I can vouch for, and I'm confident that they will invest every last bit of it in humanitarian/medical aid.

They really need a 4x4 as the Mountain roads are often nothing more than mule tracks, in some places I wouldn't even try to drive a UNIMOG there.

Please note that you don't necessarily need to give money. If you have access to medical supplies, gear, training books/guides etc I can provide you with a shipping address. I'm sure that there are some medical professionals on here. If your institution replaces their stretchers, splints, braces - please note that financially constrainted groups in poor countries can still perfectly use these! (Not just SARS Romania).

Please feel free to donate something under;

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/search-rescue-vehicle#description

If you would like to send them supplies, please PM me and I'll bring you in contact with them.
 
Pfeffer said:
Hi all,
I'm sorry for posting this here as I'm often annoyed by the random money begging crowd funding requests that seem to be sprouting like weeds these days. I usually distrust charities as they not always have the best reputation.
However, I just learned that SARS Romania launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund a rescue vehicle. When in military service, I made a 3 week trip to Romania and took part in a large search and rescue excercise with these people. I spent these three weeks eating state of the art MREs, had my Bundeswehr gear and brand new issued climbing gear. What did I do with it? I had a three weeks learning experience and watched people make due with 20 year old gear, eating sheep cheese and smoked meat from lunch boxes. Especially in the rural area, time stood still. They live without electricity, gas and social security. Old farmers even drove donkey carts over slippery mountain trails. These people are far out of reach for normal ambulances, and help usually comes too late.
These were the volunteers that only earned about 500 dollar a month and still invested all of their spare time and found funds to help others. They played an important role in the disaster relief after the 2010 moldova floodings and other (local) disasters. They are mostly highly motivated youngsters (20-30yo) which are trained and supported by professional SAR and trauma people.
I was really surprised that they launched a crowd funding, as they were to proud to even except a cold beer after some exhausting days in the mountains. It's one of the very few charities that I can vouch for, and I'm confident that they will invest every last bit of it in humanitarian/medical aid.
They really need a 4x4 as the Mountain roads are often nothing more than mule tracks, in some places I wouldn't even try to drive a UNIMOG there.
Please note that you don't necessarily need to give money. If you have access to medical supplies, gear, training books/guides etc I can provide you with a shipping address. I'm sure that there are some medical professionals on here. If your institution replaces their stretchers, splints, braces - please note that financially constrainted groups in poor countries can still perfectly use these! (Not just SARS Romania).
Please feel free to donate something under;
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/search-rescue-vehicle#description
If you would like to send them supplies, please PM me and I'll bring you in contact with them.
Click to expand...
Hey Pfeffer I have some fantastic knee braces and crutches for right and left legs these are full leg braces in perfect condition!! Would be happy to donate.
This is a really fantastic charity very nice of you to bring it to our attention :) will also contribute what I can. Hands around the world!!!
CHEERS
 
Very interesting, I have been in the process of teaching myself Română for the past week or so because of a trip to Europe I want to take and see this.  I live near a major hospital/university and know many medical professionals and can see if there's anything beneficial they could contribute. 
 
Pfeffer said:
Hi all,

I'm sorry for posting this here as I'm often annoyed by the random money begging crowd funding requests that seem to be sprouting like weeds these days. I usually distrust charities as they not always have the best reputation.

However, I just learned that SARS Romania launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund a rescue vehicle. When in military service, I made a 3 week trip to Romania and took part in a large search and rescue excercise with these people. I spent these three weeks eating state of the art MREs, had my Bundeswehr gear and brand new issued climbing gear. What did I do with it? I had a three weeks learning experience and watched people make due with 20 year old gear, eating sheep cheese and smoked meat from lunch boxes. Especially in the rural area, time stood still. They live without electricity, gas and social security. Old farmers even drove donkey carts over slippery mountain trails. These people are far out of reach for normal ambulances, and help usually comes too late.

These were the volunteers that only earned about 500 dollar a month and still invested all of their spare time and found funds to help others. They played an important role in the disaster relief after the 2010 moldova floodings and other (local) disasters. They are mostly highly motivated youngsters (20-30yo) which are trained and supported by professional SAR and trauma people.

I was really surprised that they launched a crowd funding, as they were to proud to even except a cold beer after some exhausting days in the mountains. It's one of the very few charities that I can vouch for, and I'm confident that they will invest every last bit of it in humanitarian/medical aid.

They really need a 4x4 as the Mountain roads are often nothing more than mule tracks, in some places I wouldn't even try to drive a UNIMOG there.

Please note that you don't necessarily need to give money. If you have access to medical supplies, gear, training books/guides etc I can provide you with a shipping address. I'm sure that there are some medical professionals on here. If your institution replaces their stretchers, splints, braces - please note that financially constrainted groups in poor countries can still perfectly use these! (Not just SARS Romania).

Please feel free to donate something under;

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/search-rescue-vehicle#description

If you would like to send them supplies, please PM me and I'll bring you in contact with them.
Click to expand...
Thank you for promoting this! I am Made in Romania :)
Yes, indeed, the life in that side of the country is not easy. Is the East side, bordered once by ex-USSR (or CCCP, as they wrote). Thanks God I am living in the Western side. Even now, more than 20 years after we "eliberate" from comunism, the life is hard. Not so many investors on that side, not so many jobs. And of course lower salary... It is charming to see many areas where life looks like a fairytale, where is so silent, where civilisation is not destroying everything, but is not easy to struggle with so many problems day by day.
There are many enthusiast people like these, and I admire them for what they do, especially living in a country where many are fighting for power, to reach a higher level just to be able to steal more, where I saw a hidden camera record where a politician say "I am stealing even the sugar from your tea." We just hope these enthusiast people will be more and more, and those shit people will be less.... There is even an (ironic) word that says "Romania - beautiful country, too bad it is populated...".
But I hope for a better future, at least for our children.
 
I've been in Constanta, Craiova, Petrosani, Timisoarana, Bucharest and a lot of other places. I learned right (Ursus) from wrong (Timisoarana, Noroc) there. : -) Even thought I would go blind from a bad batch of Tuica.

I love how it looks, especially around Petrosani. There where a lot of soviet era industrial buildings which were simply abandoned. It made a great place for photos.

There's also a great deal of untouched nature there. It's a beautiful country. And when I walked (in full gear) through a little farmers community in the Retezat old farmers came out saying Apa? Lapte?

I really had no clue what they were saying, as I wasn't hindered by any knowledge of the Romanian language. Though later I found out they were offering cold water and raw goat milk. That struck me a lot, as here you should already be Lucky if your neighbour lends you a cup of sugar. I met people there that had next to nothing but still wanted to feed you and give stuff that you could use.

@Oldsalty, great support but I'm afraid it would be a waste of the shipping cost to get it there. I was more hoping on medical institutions that could get it there. Often it's cheaper to rebuy items in Eastern Europe than to ship them over. But never the less, I really appreciate the offer.

@Helvete, it would be wonderful if you could shake something from them. Even if it's just training material. I appreciate the effort.


Some things they could really use;

Stretchers
Trauma braces
Medical supplies
CPR dummies
Climbing gear/(unused)rope
Helmets
Reflective clothing
Study material like books
Boat (like a zodiac)
And of course funds. Even if it's just a dollar.
 
Pfeffer said:
I've been in Constanta, Craiova, Petrosani, Timisoarana, Bucharest and a lot of other places. I learned right (Ursus) from wrong (Timisoarana, Noroc) there. : -) Even thought I would go blind from a bad batch of Tuica.

I love how it looks, especially around Petrosani. There where a lot of soviet era industrial buildings which were simply abandoned. It made a great place for photos.

There's also a great deal of untouched nature there. It's a beautiful country. And when I walked (in full gear) through a little farmers community in the Retezat old farmers came out saying Apa? Lapte?

I really had no clue what they were saying, as I wasn't hindered by any knowledge of the Romanian language. Though later I found out they were offering cold water and raw goat milk. That struck me a lot, as here you should already be Lucky if your neighbour lends you a cup of sugar. I met people there that had next to nothing but still wanted to feed you and give stuff that you could use.
 
Click to expand...
 
Don't want to be off topic too much, just few words :)
You probably have seen the difference between Petrosani on one hand, and Timisoara or Constanta on the other hand. In Petrosani area, the main occupation was mining, but they closed the mines in the last years, so many people are jobless there.
Timisoreana (the beer made in Timisoara was good, but as happend with many others, the factory was sold to a South-Africa co. And now is no more good. They even have no more the dark beer. You can google, the Timisoreana beer factory was built in 1718 (yes, 1718). In fact, you can google and find many things about this Western area, because here came a lot of German colonists (and not only this area). Many of them went back on the time of comunism, or short after. Even I have some blood of Schwaben :)
 
Yes, also a lot of names are still German/Austrian, like Aufmesser and Schneider. You can clearly spot those surnames amongst the typical romanian names ending with "u".

Most of the mountain areas where clearly a lot poorer than the urban areas. Buildings were often in very bad shape, infrastructure wasn't maintained since the early 90s. Even the supermarket prices were substantially higher in the larger cities.
 
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