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Conference at Marga – May 2006
Between 19-22 May 2006, took place a conference organised by Street Children Aid Pro Deo from Great Britain together with the Romanian NGO’s that are supported by it.
The meeting was a good opportunity to for each one to learn more about the activities of each organisation represented, to share their successes, failures, hope and plans for the future. The organisations supported by Street Children Aid Pro Deo who participated in the conference are:-
- Fundaţia Humanitas Pro Deo (Oţelu Roşu, Caraş Severin)
- Fundaţia Umanitară Debora (Arad)
- Fundaţia Onisifor (Bucureşti)
- Aven-Ezer (Balti, Republica Moldova)
- Asociaţia Lewitul (Iaşi)
“We in ‘Street Children Aid Pro Deo’ were very blessed by sharing 4 days with all our friends in Romania. At the Conference were all the 5 NGOs who we support. It was a special joy to have them all together and discuss the very important issues that are affecting how charity progresses in Romania, and how these changes will affect how our work in the UK goes forward.
Before the Conference these 5 groups did not all know each other, but now they have all met and we sincerely hope that the friendship that was built during those days in May 2006 will last for ever and that they will be able to help each other in their work for the poorest in Romania” Mary Blow
A visit to Great Britain - July 2006
At the invitation of Support for Romania from Wales, a choir group made up from young people from HPD and staff spent 3 weeks in Great Britain, between 07-26 July 2006. The purpose of this trip was to visit the churches that give material, financial and spiritual support to the projects developed by the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation and of course to thank them for all their assistance.
This was the third time the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation’s choir has visited Great Britain: the first visit was in 2000, at the invitation of a Christian Methodist group from Downham Market (Norfolk) and surroundings and the second time was in 2003, at the invitation of Support for Romania.
The program was quite busy, almost every night a concert was organised in different churches supporting the work of the Foundation. We also visited some schools and a home for the elderly. We were impressed to see how many people give in order to help those in greater need. We are grateful to God for each one who is involved in this work.
The time we spent in Great Britain was not all work and no play. There were times of relaxation and our friends from Support for Romania showed us many beautiful places. The weather was on our side, and we were able to enjoy the sea, even though it’s a bit colder than ours. And a special moment for the boys was visiting the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
For the most part our time was spent in Wales, but we also visited some churches in England. Invited by Nicoleta Nemesan (who used to work for the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation, but now lives and works in Plymouth) and by the Colebrook Methodist Church through Mavis and Eric Pearce, we spent a weekend in Plymouth (England).
We want to thank again all the people involved in organising this trip and that made our time spent in Great Britain a great blessing for us.
Students’ reunion, August 2006
In association with the organisation Action Familles from France, the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation developed a program of financial support for young people wanting to continue their studies but who are blocked by lack of finances.
Action Familles is an NGO from France who started its activities in 1993, in association with the organisation Partage. This program of financial support for students started in 1998.
Currently there are 27 students assisted through this program, they are from different areas of Romania: Otelu Rosu and its surroundings, Slatin, Ploiesti, Arad areas – Curtici, Sieu, Radauti and Suceava.
Beteween 25 and 26 August 2006 was a reunion of students at the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation headquarters together with Charles and Edith Gounon, who represent the association Action Familles.
There were about 30 people, together with the coordinators, who decided to get to know each other better and to enjoy some fun together. The time spent together was great and the welcome of the Foundation was ... a model!
Amongst games, a walk in the forest and other relaxing moments we also had to „work” a little bit: three meetings gave us the opportunity to listen and to learn... At one of the meetings there was even a surprise for the students as each one of them received a rucksack with stationery, food items, hygiene products and even a vitamin treatment.
We discussed about the imminent entry of Romania into the European Union and about the importance of the students individual and professional development.
All of us were encouraged to start a new year of voluntary work and discipline. We also happily acknowledged the school results, the dynamism, the ambition and success of students which was exceptional.
Charles Gounon
The Federation of the Nongovernmental Organisations „Pro Child” –
Linking FONPC and ProChild
The Humanitas Pro Deo foundation is the Founder member of the Federation of the Nongovernmental Organisations in Child’s Protection (FONPC), which was constituted in 1997.
In October 2006 the decision was taken to link the Federation of the Nongovernmental Organisations in Child’s Protection with the Federation ProChild
The President of the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation, Valentin Samuel Bosneac was elected as Vice President of FONPC beginning in 2002, and after the joining, he was re-elected within the same role.
The purpose of the Federation is to build up and facilitate the co-operation of the associations and foundations that are working in the area of child protection in Romania, in order to assure the implementation of children’s rights written in the ONU Convention regarding the Children’s Rights
The Federation PLUS
In a previous edition of ‘Your Neighbour’ (2/2005), we wrote about the intentions of the constitution of a Federation of the Nongovernmental Christian Evangelical Organisations active in social protection
After several meetings with the representatives of 14 organisations, we finalised the Statute and the mode of functioning of the federation. All the necessary documents were presented at the Court in Sibiu and in October this year the Federation PLUS was registered.
The reorganisation of activities at the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation
Many of you may know that according to the Law 272/2004 regarding the protection and promotion of children’s rights, infants under the age of 2 can no longer be accommodated in a placement centre. The protection allowed must now involve placement with foster parents, or returning the child to its natural or wider family, or if the natural and wider family agree – adoption.
In previous years, because of the great need, the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation opened 2 centres for babies. During this time we tried to offer the best love and care we could for these children. We recognised that these centres, even though efficient, could not offer the conditions and moral support needed by all children, this can only be found in a family.
Therefore, at the beginning of 2006 we closed these two centres for babies: Bethel (Paltinis) and Cristian (Otelu Rosu).
The Centre Bethel from Paltinis began in 1999 in association with the Bethel Fellowship Foundation who financially supported this project. We want to thank them for all the support they offered during those years and for the dedication in the care of the children.
The Centre Cristian opened in September 2002 with the financial support raised through the help of Timothy and Deborah Pearson, British citizens and volunteers at the Foundation. Closing the centre’s activities did not mean the end of the Cristian Project. This project continues as the financial support is now re-directed to Foundation’s Foster Families program. We want to continue and develop this program in order to give a chance for many other children to live in a family and to receive the love and security they need for a healthy development.
At present, the house once home to the babies, now accommodates one of the foster families employed by the Foundation, Petria and Gica Blidariu together with their 9 children (seven are fostered and 2 are adopted).
Day Centre and Dental Surgery for people (children, youth and adults)
with special health problems (HIV, chronic hepatitis)
The TACT Organisation in association with the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation has initiated a new project in Resita, whose purpose is to provide help for people infected with the human immune deficiency virus. Through these developing activities we would like to confront their emotional and psychological needs and necessities which marginalise or even exclude them from society and to address the lack of education in this area.
The objectives of the project are:
To open a day care centre for HIV infected children – where they can receive counselling and physical and material help;
To provide information about the prevention of the virus and how it is transferred.
To open a dental surgery and provide dental education.
Reintegration programs for infected persons marginalised by the wider society
The HIV disease is not only a health problem, but a complex issue which affects our society.
The project’s strategy will focus on the prevention and the reduction of social impact to infected people, but will also assist in providing access to services for treatment, care, psychological and social support to people groups that are vulnerable to the infection of the HIV virus.
To implement this project we have received tax free for a period of 10 years a building from the County Council. We have begun renovation and re-arrangement of the building, so that in a short term we will be able to open the dental surgery there. We are conscious of the enormous need for such a surgery, which is why we are placing a priority on its opening as soon as possible.
The affiliate from Craiova
Through the initiative of the family Dan and Dana Vieru, on 01 September 2006 we began a new affiliate of the Humanitas Pro Deo Foundation in Craiova.
The project developed there is called “A chance for everyone”
The aim of the project is to offer young people leaving placement centres a real chance to integrate into the wider society and to financially sustain themselves.
The objectives:
1. To offer a place to live, for a pre-determined period of time, to young people leaving placement centres.
2. To develop programs to assist young people in being employed: help with the preparation for exams, computer lessons, drivers licence, masonry etc.
3. To invest in young people with potential to continue their studies.
4. To be a mediator between the employer and young person.
5. To assist them in finding a place of work.
6. To assist in obtaining a place to live for the young people through the real estate network offered by the governments social programs (ANL, social apartments offered by the mayor etc.)
7. To develop an individual sponsorship program for the youngsters.
8. To work with the state in identifying the need in the work market.
9. To facilitate the participation of the young in the programs organised by the Work Force in Craiova.
10. To work together with the Direction of Child Protection in Craiova.
11. To organise activities and programs based on Christian values and morals.
12. To offer special counselling for young people leaving placement centres.
Camelia Drăgan
Our Elderly
The ageing of the population is one of the biggest challenges of our century. On a global plan the number of elderly persons is increasing and this is why we considered it to be right time to begin a new project providing care services at home for elderly people. Statistics show a big difference between the elderly people cared for in institutions and those cared for within their own homes. The latter have a longer life, better health and a better quality of life compared to elderly people isolated in institutions, where they have just a bed as alternative to their familiar world. Through home care, elderly people can continue to live in their homes, within a familiar environment and enjoy a better quality of life.
Elderly people are an ‘at risk’ group due to their vulnerability and special needs requiring help and protection to maintain decent living conditions and to remain integrated within their family and society. From an emotional, biological and social point of view, age often brings much „loss”: losing of a job, perhaps health, a life partner etc. When these losses are not confronted in a way or another, they can lead to depression and extreme situations.
Through this project we offer social assistance to elderly people in crisis situations living in Caransebes. We currently provide assistance to 34 people.
We seek to offer them support, by developing home care services, including prevention services to reduce the number of needing institutionalise care.
On the bases of a social enquiry and a social-medical evaluation, elderly people can benefit from the following services: social, legal and administrative counselling, material and financial support (cleaning, shopping, financial support for various expenses, clothes, food).
Valentin Lala, Project Co-ordinator