Development Diary
Days in the life of an Aid Organisation ...
Mar 2008 Trustees are delighted to award the largest grant to-date to the general hospital in Yambio, south Sudan, to purchase desperately needed equipment.  This equipment will be sourced in Uganda and shipped to the hospital in June 2008.
Mar 2008 Trustees award Degree course scholarship to Sudanese Student to study public affairs and administration, prior to returning to south Sudan to help with the runnuing of the administration there
Sept 2007 Degree Scholarship awarded to a student from the Kibera slum in Nairobi to undertake a 4 year course in computer studies.
Aug 2007 an initial enquiry has been received to fund the building of a junior school in Yambio, south Sudan.    We have requested more details.
Aug 2007 We have received an unexpected donation from a couple who have celebrated their RUBY wedding anniversary.  They decided that instead of receiving presents they would rather receive donations to their favourite charity.   We thank them for adopting us as that charity.
Aug 2007 (17th to be precise) CAMEO-Aid has formally been registered as a charity with the registration number 1120578.   This is a good day will now give the organisation the formal status necessary to access grants and any available statutory funding.  Now the real hard work begins in trying to maximise the amount of aid we send to those less fortunate in Africa.
Aug 2007 Documents finally approved and signed off and sent to the Charity Commissioners An applocation to assist with the building of classrooms at a the village of Mbirizi, Uganda received earlier in the year has been updated by mthe applicants as there has been a rise in the cost of building materials in Uganda.   The Trusees have requested Pro-Forma innvoices and witnessed confirmations for these price increase prior to making a final ddcision. An application for assistance with the supply of equipment to the general hospital in Yambio Spouth Sudan has been received.   Although the list is detailed in the amount and type of equipment requested it does not include sufficient details as to where it will be used and who will benefit from its use, or who will use and maintain it. Because of the complexity of some of this equipment unless there is someone to maintain it or someway to keep it maintained the sending it is a waste of money because once it becomes faulty it will be discarded.
July 2007 Charity Commissioners respond to our application requesting additional information.   This was supplied and was accepted Further communications with the Charity Commissioners indicated that the objects clause would require a re-write as they felt that the objects as stated could be interpreted as being ambiguous.   They suggested an altenative form of words which Cameo-Aid has adopted.   One of our trustees has resigned, for personal reasons, thus reducing the number to three.  The home page now sets out an appeal for Trustees and Volunteers.   We are actively seeking persons to bolster our team and help us be proactive in the delivery of more aid to Africa.
May 2007 Charitable Status Registration Documents, Trustees report and Accounts have been submitted to the Charities Commissioners. Now we wait for their assessment.
April 2007 - the accounts for the Trust are being prepared.   These will be formatted in accordance with the Charities Commissioners requirements and in compliance with Statement of Recommended Practice 20. The Registration documents including the trust deed have been finalised and approved. An application for funds to build classrooms onto a community school in a bush village in Uganda has been approved. Consultations are ongoing with the management of the community Hospital in Yambio, New Sudan to agree a specific project to support.
March 2007 The trust has acquired the services of a fourth Trustee who has a number of years experience of working in Africa.
October 2006 - the earlier trip to East Africa has now ben evaluated and a power point presentation developed and tested.   Initial reactions are that it is too long - death by power point.   A revised version has been made.   Bookings for presentations to local groups are slowly coming in.
Sept 2006 - Met with Bishop Elias Taban, Presbyterian Bishop of Yei, South Sudan, when he came to St Mary's Parish Church, Eccles, Salford, to outline the current situation in Sudan.   Bishop Taban was born a Christain, educated as a Muslim, joined the SPLA and fought in the civil war, and knew John Garang the leader of the SPLA.  He was ordained a minister and later elevated to Bishop. He was strongly advocated the continued delivery of Aid as a means of promoting hope and Choice for the recipients.
April 2006 - Have succeeded in securing the services of another Trustee.  He is a Qualified Pharmicist with a strong background in delivering aid, and will advise, among other matters on all matters related to medical supplies and medicines.
31st March 2006 - Just returned from evaluation mission from East Africa including: Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. Gunfire made this trip a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. More....
Mar 2, 2006 Great news - the container has finally arrived at its destination in South Sudan.  News has come through that it has been offloaded and they are preparing to distribute the contents. Fact finding mission is set for 12th March 2006, but still no confirmation that safe passage to South Sudan will be available.   This is a little close for comfort.   Hopefully it will be sorted by the time the departure date comes around.
Feb 2006 the latest news on the container is that it is likely to start its journey to South Sudan this month.
Jan 2006 - Preparations in hand for fact finding mission to South Sudan in March 2006.   The greatest difficulty is arranging safe passage there.   The Lords Resistance Army occupies part of northern Uganda and impedes trafic to south Sudan. NGOs are now returning to South Sudan follpwing the inter-tribal conflict at the end of last year. the container of aid shipped in November 2006 is still in Uganda.
Dec 30, 2005 - Bad News - A three month standoff between Sudanese refugees and Egyptian authorities climaxed in bloodshed early Friday when club- weilding police invaded a regigee squatter (west of Cairo). setting off a melee in which at least 20 and perhaps 26 Sudanese were killed. The exact number of Sudanese in Egypt is unknown, but estimates range from 200,000 to 2 million. (Source: Daniel Williams -  Washington Post - Saturday 31st Dec 2005; Page A14)
Dec 2005 Good news  The computers and books sent to Mbarara in Uganda have now arrived and we received an e-mail and some photos.   They are grateful for our aid.   They have invited us to visit them when we arrive in Uganda.
Dec 2005 Bad News  The local tribes in Yambio have started fighting each other.   Todate 10 people have been killed.   The UN has advised all non Sudanese to leave the area pending resolution of the conflict.   This means that the container will not now leave Kampala until after Christmas, at the earliest.   People Fight - People Die.  Aid does not arrive - People Die.
Nov 2005.  Container was packed tightly (eat your hearts out sardine tin packers) and dispatched on the 3rd.   It will be shipped from Felixstowe to Mombassa in Kenya, East Africa.   From there it will travel by road to Kampala, Uganda.   If it is safe to do so it will then be sent by road to Yambio, South Sudan. Have decised to undertake a fact finding mission to Uganda and South Sudan to see the situation at first hand
Oct 2005.   All medical and Educational aid was packed ready for shipment to South Sudan.   The container and Transport were ordered - this is the expensive bit.   Donors, supporters and volunteers were invited to see the results of their efforts and the amount of aid that will eventually arive in South Sudan. The hospital in Yambio, South Sudan will get half a container load of medical equipment and supplies. The Palica training centre, near Yambio will receive desks, tables, chairs and other equipment to help it in its mission to train teachers              - 1 trained teacher will teach about 3000 pupils during his/her career - a good investment. The orphanage in Yambio will receive toys and equipment to help it care for its charges The large quantity of tools sent will help equip i mechanic, 2 bricklayers and up to 6 carpenters A 20 ft container is still a very small drop in a very large ocean of need. But without the help of our donors, supporteers and volunteers it would not be possible.
Sept 2005.   Focused begging suceeded.  P Fahey & Sons Ltd, a Manchester based furniture removal company had a vehicle in Ireland which was coming back empty.   They agreed to collect the equipment and hold it in their store for us. Thrir kindness saved us heartache and money.   Thank you P Fahey & Sons Ltd.
August 2005   Have sent 35 computers and 40 boxes of school books to Bude in Cornwall to be packed for shipment to the Montford Fathers mission at Mbarara in Uganda
June 2005 Good news.   We have just received news that a load of medical equipment will become available shortly, in Ireland.   This includes whelchairs, mattresses, Ward Linen, Vital Signs monitors, crutches and other walking aids plus a lot more.   The only problem now is how to get them to England at little or no cost.  Time for thinking caps and some focused begging.
May 2005 Did a Circulation insert in a focused magazine.   This was the culmination of a lot of planning and following professional advice.  The magazine was chosen with care and the insert designed to create impact.  Again the response was less than expected.   An inquiry into why this campaign has not worked is currently under way.  Professionals 0, Failure 1
April 2005 Newsletter sent out to supporters. The financial response was not as expected.   The tsunami has soaked much of the free cash and all aid organisations are suffering.  New  fundraising ideas needed, more volunteers needed
26 March 2005 Carried on packing other medical equipment at our termporary store in Bolton.   Have started sorting out the computers we have received.   these will be overhauled and recommissioned for use in Africa.
12 March 2005 Started to sort out the furniture we will take to Sudan
10 March 2005 Started phoning around today to see if local organisations could us some of the furniture and equipment.
7 March 2005 Went to see the furniture and equipment which has been donated.   It will fill about 4, 40 ft containers.   This is too much for us and presents a problem - what to do with the extra?
4 March 2005  We have been informed by a local university that a large quantity of Used Furniture and Equipment is to be made available to us.   This great news means that many places in South Sudan will now receive equipment they badly need.
7 Jan 2005 - Good News - A peace agreement has been signed between the Sudanese Government and Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army and Movement.   This officially brings to an end the protracted civil war between the north and south of Sudan.   Perhaps now they can begin the process of rebuilding the country and repatriating the Refugees.   This is not the first peace agreement, but hopefully this one will last.