Edinburgh Direct Aid July 2002-Feb 2006
1992 Edinburgh Direct Aid is born of compassion, indignation and shame at the horrors unleashed in Croatia (Vukovar) and the massacres, tortures, rapes, sieges and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia
1993- Edinburgh Direct Aid focuses exclusively on Bosnia, sending convoys wherever it can June 1993: Christine Witcutt killed on a convoy to Sarajevo
1996- EDA begins to help with repatriation and reconstruction work in Bosnia
1999- Kosovo crisis: EDA joins with other Scottish charities to form the Scottish Charities Kosovo Appeal. Intense work first in Alabania then in Kosovo Reconstruction work in Bosnia continues.
2000- Reconstruction work in both Bosnia and Kosovo
2001- Christine Witcutt Memorial Centre for children with special needs established in Sarajevo. Main focus of EDA s fundraising, ongoing support for the Centre.
2002 Reconstruction work continues in Bosnia Resolution moved at AGM in favour of widening the scope of EDA s activities. Moderator visits CW Centre CW Fund established as independent charity
2003 Independent evaluation of Christine Witcutt Centre and Outreach Service by Sheila Stirrat of Capability Scotland and Martyn Rees of Cambridge University reports very favourably Occasional convoys to Bosnia and Kosovo Reconstruction work continues in BiH
2004 Reconstruction in Bosnia ends, but occasional convoys continue. May 2004: first EDA aid delivery to Palestine and Israel, crew: Andy Sutherland Denis Rutovitz John Home Robertson Maggie Tookey Sara Bader Tony Graham
2005: Indian Ocean Tsunami from January to June Goods were collected in our Granton warehouse. Two containers were obtained as gifts and shipped, packed full of aid goods to Colombo for Hikkaduwa
2005: Indian Ocean Tsunami Distribution team: Maggie Tookey Lucinda Withinshaw Lisa Anderson Sandy Taylor Peter Chalmers Collaborating with Hikkaduwa Area Relief Trust Glasgow the Caring City
2005: Kashmir Earthquake From October onwards relief goods were collected in the Granton warehouse, with enthusiastic support of local Pakistani community. A container was shipped in December, and subsequently acquired.
2005-6: Kashmir Earthquake Relief Team: Maggie Tookey John Home Robertson Alan Black Bill Graham Chris Butlin Graeme Nairns Annie Audsley Working With WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) UN Habitat UNICEF
2006 Kashmir work continues. Bosnia convoys continue -? Sri Lanka work may continue. Palestine, maybe. Christine Witcutt Centre: crunch time!
2006 Critical year for the Christine Witcutt Centre Municipality of Sarajevo signed up to take over. Will they? Assurances from mayor, OK. March 29: meeting, mayors of 4 districts of Sarajevo hopefully, all OK.
Income & Expenditure, July 2002-Feb 2006 ( 1000's) Christine Witcutt Centre from EDA Outreach Service Palestine Tsunami Earthquake EDA General + Convoy Donations (shoeboxes) Convoys General expenditure Donations, special events, gift aid 264 104 19 18 58 45 508 Expenditure 328 21 16 15 48 18 24 470 Balance 19 3 3 10 3 38
Where the money comes from ( 1000's) CAN Collections 3 Collections 24 Donations from Churches, etc 70 Donations from Club/Association 13 Donations from Company 30 Donations from Individuals 171 Donations from School 12 Donations from Trusts 52 Gift Aid 12 Online Donationss 7 Setpiece Events 10 404
Palestine 2004: Income and Expenditure by Category FUND RAISING Donations 18315 Event Expenses 700 Postage and Printing 578 Overheads 270 1548
Palestine AID DELIVERY Volunteer travel and expenses 3374 Telecoms 458 Aid Collection 1866 Aid Transport 4711 Warehousing Costs 336 10745
AID: DIRECT SPEND Aid Supplies Aid to Schools Youth Projects 2610 906 586 4102 TOTAL SPEND 16395 INCOME BALANCE REMAINING 18315 1920
Reflections on Reconstruction 1996 Repatriation of 300 refugees and their belongings from all over the UK. EDA sets up its base in Sanica/Kljuc
1997 First reconstruction project. 150 houses in Biljani, Kljuc Municipality. Lessons learned. Cash-flow a significant problem.
1998 Enter West Lothian Council. Willing to act as Banker, assisted with setting up technical tendering procedures. First ECHO project awarded. 56 houses in Bosanski Petrovac
1999 2nd and 3rd ECHO projects in Martin Brod (54 houses) and Bosanska Krupa (55 houses)
2000 West Lothian Council unable to continue to offer finance support but negotiate with Bank of Scotland on EDA s behalf. Overdraft facilities extended (500,000 euros) on basis that we had not made a mess of it so far!
2000 In the wake of our emergency shelter programme EAR contract for 513 houses in Skenderaj, Kosovo
2001 EC FRM Contract for 65 houses in Bosanska Krupa. EAR contract for 444 houses in Skederaj, Kosovo. Kosovo contracts largest awarded to any NGO in Kosovo. EDA the smallest NGO operating!
2002 US BPRM contract for 90 houses in Kljuc and Bosanska Krupa
2002 EC FRM contract for 90 houses in Bosanska Krupa
Sustainability Cows, pigs, goats, tractors, tools Sawmill, fish farm, dairy co-operative, start-up grants to companies
What made EDA different? Integrity: sought to stamp out favouritism wherever evident Commitment: Every contract delivered beyond its original contracted number of houses. Highest ratio of Secondary Beneficiaries identified.
Innovation: First introduction of gender balance on Village Reconstruction Committees in Kosovo. First introduction of job experience for school children in Kosovo. First contract with Republika Srbska for the provision of construction materials in Federation area. First introduction of professionally organised business development seminars in context of a return programme.
Added Value During the course of every project, beneficiaries provided with additional convoy aid to help them settle in.
Thanks Our major thanks must go to Liz McLaughlin who managed the projects from 1998 to 2003 and to David Ross who was active in Kosovo as Beneficiary Liaison Manager but who stepped into the breach to manage our last and probably most difficult project in Bosnia in 2003/04. Thanks also to West Lothian Council for their early help that kick started the propramme and to the Bank of Scotland who have patiently stuck with us and our unsecured loans throughout the programme.
No Thanks Are due to the financial bureaucrats of the EC who made our lives a misery and who appear to be trained to know the cost of everything but the value of nothing.
2003/4 EC FRM contract for 92 houses in North-West Bosnia
ALL HOUSES Total number of Houses 1632 Total Contract Value 13.4million Euro ( 9.5m) PLUS 3 Schools renovated/rebuilt in Croat/Serb and Bosniak areas
School before rebuild
SCHOOL AFTER REBUILD