NJT – Markham?? | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

While I think the core values of the Not Just Tourist philosophy is good we have been detained twice and after remarkable stress we have decided not to put our energy for Cuba in this organization. My sister-in-law had someone approach her from NJT Markam. Never heard of them NJT Ottawa, NJT Toronto and NJT ST Catherines…… anyone else with information and experience as it pertains to Cuba…..and/or other destinations.

Unfortunately I agree… while I commend their intent they have in my opinion always been somewhat naive about Cuba in general and Aduana in particular…Cheers,

Terry

I have taken 5 packages to Cuba for them and found them nothing short of professional. They will inform you if you are heading to an area or airport that is troublesome, inform you what is in the suitcase and provide you with all the letters you require. I had one very short delay, and when the customs officers opened the bag and saw the letters they were very grateful and very happy that people from Canada would try to help them out.
Don’t let the naysayers slow you down. most of them have never done this but go by hearsay and guessing!

Here is the NJT website; 64.69.79.22/english/View.asp?x=433 I don’t see a listing for Markham.

Spoke with Ken at NJT Calgary a few minutes ago who says he has items to send to Cuba and other areas, but has a shortage of suitcases just now.

Thanks for that perspective, iggy. The two acquaintances who I know that took stuff down for them both lost the donations to Aduana because they didn’t have any paperwork proving that it was humanitarian goods. That was in Varadero a few years ago and I was under the impression NJT pulled out of Cuba shortly afterwards.Cheers,

Terry

The gentleman " TRYING " to form another NJT in the GTA is in my opinion a very dedicated person that is in waaaaay over his head .He knows absolutely nothing about Cuba and is not specifically trying to organize any shipments to Cuba but other areas of need like Haiti.Right now he is just trying to garner as much info as possible and I highly doubt there will be any cases from him to Cuba in the near future.I have spoken with him and will try to hook him up with DCF so that any supplies he has to send may be able to go in a container. His heart is in the right place , however I suspect he bit off more than he can chew !

Lenny

Trying to get supplies and goodwill to Cuba has been a hard job for many groups. Hooray for you and don’t give up.On our sister site, Debbie’s Dominican, there is another group of great people who help operate charities like orphanages and schools in the DR. Should anyone feel they’ve been beaten down by our friends, Cuban Aduna, and want to give up, there are lots of other ways to help children down south.If you are planning a DR trip, contact me for the paperwork to get extra luggage weight for charitable goods for the kids.

Or have a look at what’s been done at: www.beyondthebeach.ca

Thanks to everyone who tries to help kids, anywhere.

Haiti is another place in dire straights – WAY worse than Cuba by every possible measure – and they are incredibly welcoming of humanitarian supplies… zero issues with Customs…Cheers,

Terry

When I muled bags for NJT, you were provided with the pertinent paperwork in both English and Spanish, and also instructed to unpack and repack the bag so that you were familiar with its contents. The bag was for a specific clinic, and it was required to have the doctor there inspect it and sign that he had received it. This was NJT Toronto, and they were very organized and professional. However, when Cuba started giving NJT couriers a hard time, the organization quit sending suitcases, because in some cases they were confiscated and in others it was just a huge hassle getting them through Aduana. My last trip with a suitcase, they pulled me into secondary and went through every item in the bag, making copious notes. They did let me through with the bag (apologies to folks kept waiting on the bus!!), and, bonus, hardly glanced at the bicycle I was also muling for a friend. (I didn’t say it was a gift, I didn’t say it wasn’t a gift, I only commented "the bikes at the resort are crap", and that was the end of the bike subject.)

I did hear that some well meaning people had added stale dated medication to some bags, which was flagged by Aduana and possibly was what started the whole thorough inspection nonsense. When I took my bags, it was expressly forbidden to add anything to the bag! If only people followed instructions……which are there for a reason…..NJT Toronto might still be handling medical donations.

I have taken down about 8 or 9 bags and have had zero problems with Aduana. The only problem we had was finding where to deliver the stuff in Santiago de Cuba because some bonehead changed the rules about donations and made it so that the hospitals could not accept them directly BUT FAILED TO TELL ANYONE WHERE WE WERE SUPOSE TO TAKE THEM!!! It was an all day field trip from hospital to office to hospital and over again until we finally got somebody who accepted them and we confirmed that this was the right place. I was getting really annoyed at one point because I suffer fools badly but at least they did not use the word "FORBID"!

I think I wrote a story about that experience so I will have to look for it. In the end, we wound up driving down the road almost peeing our pants in laughter at the absurdity of the situation. No where else in the world can you walk into a hospital with $50,000 of free…no strings attached medicine… and get turned away…repeatedly. It does not have to make sense. It is CUBA!

Personally, I think the Taylors should get the Order of Canada for all of the work they have done.

I have taken down about 8 or 9 bags and have had zero problems with Aduana. The only problem we had was finding where to deliver the stuff in Santiago de Cuba because some bonehead changed the rules about donations and made it so that the hospitals could not accept them directly BUT FAILED TO TELL ANYONE WHERE WE WERE SUPOSE TO TAKE THEM!!! Was that in 2007 by any chance? I took a bag to Chivirico that year and had trouble getting rid of it. Tried a couple of places in town, no go. Finally left it at the clinic at Brisas Sierra Mar, where they assured me it would be distributed to clinics for locals, not used for tourists. Hopefully that is what happened to it.

I notice one Avi D´Souza, who says he lives in Markham, is soliciting on FreeCycle Toronto for medical supplies for Honduras, Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, Guatemala, Cuba. His email is [email protected] .

Obviously well intentioned, but I don’t know how "official" or experienced this guy is…

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