Jon Snow

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MESSAGE from Jon Snow - December 2007

Each time David White asks me to write an introduction to the CSEF report I’m amazed how much has been done in the intervening months. The energy and commitment at every level of the work is palpable.

There will be a tendency to think that as Romania joins the EU in the coming months, our work will begin to fade. I think quite the reverse is true. For Romania, joining the EU is only a beginning. These coming years, in which Romania will be asked to develop in ways it has taken us a century or more to achieve ourselves, will bring huge challenges. It’s at times like these that the youngsters that we work with could so easily be forgotten and become neglected.

Raising funds is going to be no easier than it has been, so we are going to need every ounce (or will it now be gram?) of the commitment that people have shown up to this moment. Needless to say, having rehabilitated one section of buildings, we still have more to do and more funds to raise. I can't let this year pass without thanking the staff and support team on the ground in Romania and the Herculean efforts of the team in the UK so dedicatedly led by the Trustees and Specialist Advisers. Theirs is a selfless commitment, and we appreciate it enormously.

Just when you thought you could relax, we have to start all over again! That's the nature of this crucial work with special needs children in a society as deprived as Romania - there is always more to be done.

COMMITTED TO HEALTH AND EDUCATION - The CSEF