We would like to wish all our friends a very Happy New Year and thank you for all your support. Thanks to you all 2015 was an amazing year and here are just some of the highlights of 2015….

Our Special Needs Residents; 

  • kept progressing and developing every day, all benefitted from regular massages, speech therapy,  occupational therapy, reflexology and regular sessions in our specialised sensory room.
  • have participated (and won certificates) in a number of national art  and craft competitions.
  • enjoyed regular cultural and educational day trips.
  • participated in a number of Charitable events (a sponsored run for a children’s cancer hospital, an autism awareness even and a Zumba Party for our own charity)
  • in the summer attended weekly garden parties with theatre pieces, dancing and different games.
  • celebrated their Birthdays with a special themed party which everyone participates in.
  • enjoyed Sunday afternoon “Cinema” in our play room
  • had a delightful Christmas when they put on a show, had a visit from Father Christmas, listened to carol singers and had a traditional dinner.

Our Day Centre children;

  • benefitted from two meals a day, a hot shower, two hours of extra schooling and play time in a safe, loving environment.
  • were thrilled to have their art work displayed in different exhibitions in the town and the city.
  • at Easter, painted eggs, put on a show and enjoyed an Egg Hunt.
  • had their hard work rewarded with prizes (food, toiletries, pens etc) to be shared with their family
  • in the summer put on puppet shows for our residents.
  • enjoyed lots of different volunteers (Irish, Italian and English) who prepared different games and activities (educational, creative, sports and fun)
  • danced “Zumba Kids” with a Romanian volunteer every week which encourages a healthy lifestyle and builds self-esteem. They have also danced on stage at two public events.
  • benefitted from regular medical checks and we have paid for five of our children to have glasses (an expense that their families could not afford).
  • in the summer cleaned up the local park (painted the equipment, planted flowers and cleared up the rubbish) thus being an excellent example to the local community.
  • were shown that education is the key to escaping the poverty that surrounds them.
  • benefitted from a wider education that they are not getting anywhere else (drugs, alcohol and smoking awareness, sex education, money management, CV writing,  equal opportunities etc)
  • were invited by the Romanian Vodafone Foundation to go to Bucharest to watch a show and get presents from Father Christmas, the previous night they all slept at the foundation and had a pyjama party with 58 kids!
  • had a lovely Christmas party where they put on a show for our residents, got presnts from Father Christmas and enjoyed a delicious traditional meal.

 Our local community have benefitted from;

  • Clothes and shoes donated – 700 people
  • Food baskets delivered – 225 families
  • Toys donated – 90 families, 3 local play schools and 1 children’s hospital
  • House repairs – 8
  • Beds donated – 15
  • Mattresses donated – 50
  • Operations paid for – 15
  • Medical tests and medicine paid for – 105
  • Medical supplies donated – 4 family doctors and 2 local hospitals
  • Transport provided to special schools and recuperation centers – 15 children
  • Paperwork completed and costs covered for claims for disability  pensions and state assistance – 22
  • Wheelchairs/commodes donated – 25
  • Buggy’s, cots and other baby supplies – 65 families
  • Nappies for disabled children\adults – 20 families
  • Teenagers sponsored to go to High School – 10
  • School books and equipment donated – 68 children
  • Families supported to care for disabled adults, elderly people or orphaned children – 6

 

This year our charity has started to grow and become more recognised in Romania, we even won an award at a national gala “People for People”. Representatives of the charity have attended different conferences and training groups where we have met like-minded people and learnt a wealth of information. New projects include;

  •  a project to prevent school abandonment. We are offering free Romanian and Maths tuition to all the village children in year 8 with the aim of them getting better marks in their end of year exams thus getting  a place in high school. We are also teaching them and their families the importance of continuing their education after the age of 14. We are also sponsoring 9 teenagers to go to high school/university, in return they come weekly and volunteer at the foundation.
  • we have joined a coalition targeting the problem of youth NEET (not in employment, education or training) and we are looking at practical ways of supporting these youngsters.
  • we won a project to get a website designed and hosted for free, we also won a project to get Google Ad words for free.
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