Shoeboxes from Rotary International for UK & Ireland

For 12 years, Rotary International for UK & Ireland bring thousands of shoeboxes, with toys, clothing, and other things for babies, children, youngsters. Thousands of families, thousands of kids enjoy the presents they receive on June 1st, Christmas, Easter. Children in institutions, children in needy families, or in foster care - they smile and enjoy the surprise these presents bring to them year by year.

For most of them, these are the few occasions when they get something special, which is theirs only. And the happiness and the glow in their eyes deserve the long road the lorry takes from the UK to Baia Mare.

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Affection Perceived as Weakness

Maybe that is a reason why we tolerate the institutionalization of children: the appreciation that affection to a child can take out our weakness, can make us "look bad". We see few people caress their children, their nephews. We hear even fewer adults discussing with their children, including them in conversations at family meetings, or among friends. Usually, hugging children is rare, and playing with them (reading, colouring, playing with dolls, or with toy cars) is something that the "grown-ups" do not do... Actually, each of us knows, we all need affection, embracing, good words. We all want to be appreciated and special for a few people who really matter to us, who are our family. Children need this a thousand times more than we do. However, due to the prejudice and assumptions we are captive to - they rarely have affection, or attention.

And we are talking about our children, our families. What to say about the children in institutions, for whom a good word, attention and affection are truly rare.

Somehow, we are afraid to show we need affection, when this is one of the things we long for. And then, we suffocate gestures of affection and we take away something essential to children, to their natural development.

Madame Lily Safra auctions her jewelry. HHC to benefit.

Rarely can one see jewelry such as Madame Lily Safra"s. She has been a supporter of ours for years. She decided to auction her jewelry, and a significant part of income is to be directed to our programmes. Over the next few years, we will be able to continue our programmes due to her support. In time, she has become one of our most important partners. We thank her for this kind offer.

The Audit of Social Services for Children

We have made a research on the childcare system in the country. Next week, we are organising the National Conference where we talk about the problems discovered, as well as about solutions to them, with general directors in social services. In other words, with our partners, we want to improve the lives of children in state care. I want this reunion to come with solutions, with viable proposals, with clear actions. We show where the system in not functional, but we generate actions to sort these our, for the real improvement of the lives of children and families.

Preventing child abandonment is the most important part of the social system, and it should be reinvented. In this way, we all have something good out of this: the children stay with their parents, the state spends less, and the society has people who are net contributors, and not only beneficiaries of social allowances.

Youngsters leave the childcare system without support

You are on your own. You graduated school. Imagine your parenst do not help you. You do not have anybody to help you in any way. You are alone. You cannot imagine an uglier nightmare.  Well, imagine this is everyday reality for the youngsters who are out of the childcare state system. After a lifetime in institutions, after trauma and after being a guinea pig in an upside-down system, they are on the streets. They knock on doors after doors, without any success. Many times, they sleep on the streets. Under bridges. In stairways of blocks of flats. They eat what they can, how they  can, from garbage lots or by begging.

Not all of them end up this way. But many, many do. And if families help out their kids to become independent, the system should help youngsters who leave the childcare system adapt and integrate socially. To have a job and a shelter. Otherwise, they end up in lifetime social support.

A major change is needed. The means by which youngsters should be supported for a better start in life have to be approved. It is possible. In this way, youngsters who are socially assisted can become active and net contributors to society.