About us
RO-MAN-AID, Isle of Man: A registered charity in the Isle of Man, number 541 (first registered in 1992)
RO-MAN-AID works to help and support disadvantaged communities, groups and individuals in Romania. We also aim to enrich the cultural life of village communities and foster cultural links between Romania and the Isle of Man.
We are involved in both short and long-term joint projects, working together with the beneficiaries, to provide the best possible solutions. Our projects have included work in the health and education sectors as well as in rural development. RO-MAN-AID aims to provide developmental and self supportable long term solutions to problems.
The People:
Patron: James Anthony Brown OBE ( also known as Tony Brown OBE)
Tony Brown was the MHK for Castletown (Member of the Isle of Man Parliament) from 1981. He became Speaker from 2000 until 2006 when he was elected to be Chief Minister of the House of Keys (Isle of Man Parliament), a position he retained until his retirement in 2011. Tony maintains a strong interest in “RO-MAN-AID” and visited Romania in 2008 in order to officially open the rural Fire Station in Girișu de Criș. The fire station was built by the Mayor and Coucillors of the rural district in order to house the two fire appliances and equipment that had been donated to RO-MAN-AID by the Isle of Man Government. At this time Tony was able to visit other RO-MAN-AID projects such as the Oradea Day Centre for people with multiple sclerosis, which we opened in 1995. During the same visit, he was made a “Citizen of Honour” of the rural district of Girișu de Criș in Romania.
Joint Directors of RO-MAN-AID, Isle of Man and RO-MAN-AID, Romania
Rosa Drown, President: Dr. Rosa Drown has had roles in different charities, including president, secretary, committee member and volunteer, before becoming involved in helping Romania. Shortly after the revolution in Romania, together with her husband Doug, she became involved in helping the country by organising and delivering aid for both their health and education sectors. In carrying out this work they soon realised that there was a much greater need than simply delivering aid and so formed RO-MAN-AID, together with Marcel Morar, a Romanian, who was also very experienced in charity work. She is a qualified researcher, as well has having been a teacher for most of her working life, so as well as being president of RO-MAN-AID, she has carried out research into Roma education and gives workshops and conference presentations to teachers, university students and lecturers and other academics involved in minorities,education, psychology and sociology. Her first book will be published in December 2019.
Doug Drown, Financial Director: Doug Drown has also much experience in charity work, having been chairman, secretary and committee member as well as treasurer to several organisations. His work experience has been in engineering, business and education sectors. As well as Financial Director, Doug also designs the practical and technical aspects of projects, together with experts in Romania, and when necessary, elsewhere.
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Partners in our current major project:
Team Friendship -
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