The Arts Summer Camp Turns into the Maramures Painting School

Yes. We started the 9th Arts Summer Camp, in Desesti, Maramures. With 40 children and youngsters, and just as many artists and painters. Ioan Ardelean, the priest, is the heart and soul of this event. There were many villagers there, wearing their popular suits. In the shade of the wooden church, on the green hill, with the forests in the mountains, the discussions led to the conclusion that the Arts Summer Camp turned into a cultural phenomenon which is not a simple camp any more, but a real Painting School. So we are going to call it the Maramures Painting School. Because 40 youngsters learn how to paint and enjoy art with just as many artists. We thank Porsche Romania, for supporting such an amazing event!

Another One Institution Bites the Dust!

The Saint Spiridon Institution for Children with Severe Special Needs is closed today! The last children and youngsters are being moved into the three family type homes we built for them in Botosani. The project took two years to implement and involved ample reintegration processes, to take back children into their own families. We also trained the staff, we supported youngsters to become independent, we helped others go into foster care and adoptions. We could do this project through the partnership we have with SERA Romania Association, and with the Botosani County Council. SERA Romania built other three family type homes, and a recuperation centre for disabled people. Anyway, the institution we closed together was very large. Without the power of partnerhip, we could not carry out the project in two years, and the children would have stayed in institution for another two years at least. Now, they are all in family environments, much more suitable for a normal childhood and development.

I wish I celebrate more such days!

Since 2002, ARK & HHC Give Children a Family Life in Romania

ARK - Absolute Return for Kids has been our strategic partner in Romania for the last 11 years. Together, we aimed high: to close down all institutions for children and to transform the childcare system into a family-like one. 21 institutions closed. 2,400 children taken out of institutions and brought into a family environment. Close to 9,000 children helped to stay with their parents. More than 3,000 members of staff trained. All this, through a comprehensive matrix of programmes developed in 14 counties, all over the country. ARK"s presence and support led to long-term, strategic thinking and planning. Now, 11 years into the partnership, we can state this is a precondition to success: without strong partners, viable collaboration, mutual respect and learning, such bold aims couldn"t have been reached. ARK and HHC had the ground to innovate, to develop creativity and to generate ideas that lead to a new, transformed, childcare system in Romania.

Our work is not yet done. There is still a lot to build: the quality of services for children. Family support. Youngsters leaving care. Management systems and processes at local level. Funding for children and families. Sustainable development and proactive approaches leading to improved quality of life for people with special needs. We will be here, and hopefully get it done. We are also not alone: other strong NGOs, other national and international stakeholders are on board. And so it should be: children and families are the pillars of society and civilisation. We are a civilised country insofar as we care for those who are vulnerable.

The Future Structural Funds Are Discussed with the General Directors in Childcare

The way to allocate funding on 2014 - 2020 horizon for childcare is being discussed with the general and deputy directors in all childcare departments in Romania. This week, tho counties in the North-West region meet in Maramures. Today and tomorrow, those in the Central region meet in Brasov county. In addition to the subjects related to the allocation of structural funding, the ways in which the new National Strategy in Childcare is being done are discussed and tackled. The two themes are related, as the allocation of European funding for children and families needs to be correlated with the objectives of the National Strategy in Childcare.

With us, FONPC Federation, UNICEF and the Ministry of Labour are involved in organising these consultations. From the discussions held so far, radical changes of spending EU money are going to be done, especially in terms of priorities: if priorities kept count of system, administration, bureaucracy, for the future allocation we want a vision centred around children and families, preventing child separation from families, deinstitutionalisation and creating family-like residential alternatives, as well as supporting the reintegration of youngsters back into society. All these, with the process of optimising the implementation and changing the structure of financial allocation, so that funding goes where it is most needed, that is, into system reform and quality life for children in care.

The Coma of Non-Governmental Organisations

The Romanian state does not finance NGOs. If it does, then the NGOs become vulnerable, and the finance is guided on the basis of how nice and obedient they are with the state authorities. Foreign NGOs cut the financing of in-country NGOs, as we are part of the EU, and as a consequence, NGOs should sustain themselves, either from internal sources, or from structural financing. Wrong. The structural finance demands advance payments, for six months on average. If you do not have the cash to sustain the project (in case you win it) you are bankrupt.

Rarely have I felt stronger that I do now how vulnerable the civil society is in Romania, in light of the NGOs. So many of them just disappear, die, or are close to becoming extinct. Those that manage to stay alive, are so few, they can hardly exert a form of pressure. Apparently, the state authorities win the game, as they win power. Practically, everybody loses, as the forms of pressure the NGOs bring are a balance the civilised world takes advantage of, to do social policy optimisation, community practices, or administrative procedures.

We do not learn from mistakes. It seems it is better to simply hide the dirt under the carpet. And those who have the courage to take it out and clean it - they should better disappear. This seems to be the message. It is a paradox: the more you want to do good in society, the more you are perceived as an actor of an organization that disturbs and brings inconvenience.