Annual Report 2010 20 Years of Activity in Promoting and Protecting the Rights of the Child
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Annual report 2010 20 years of activity in promoting and protecting the rights of the child In 2010, Save the Children Romania celebrated its 20th anniversary: two decades of ambitions and ideals fulfilled every day by the children included in social and educational programmes. If we learned a lot over these 20 years, it was because children were our most brilliant teachers. Paraphrasing a famous writer, Paulo Coelho, the children taught us the most important three lessons in life: how to be happy without a reason, how to always be fidgety, and how to insistently ask for what we think is important for children. This has been the driving force behind Save the Children Romania’s desire to build and rebuild pieces of a world where kids can just be happy, which explains Ana Maria Mihăescu - President, the enthusiasm of our achievements, which, put together, have translated into Chief of IFC Mission for Romania and the Republic of Moldova over 600,000 children who grew up beautifully next to us. In 2010, the number of children included in our programmes and campaigns was 111,000, together with 22,800 parents, 12,500 teachers and 1,750 volunteers. As a fortunate coincidence, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child also celebrates two decades of implementation in Romania, our country being among the first states to have ratified it (September th28 , 1990). A strategic and engaging document for the signatory states, the Convention represents the most ratified Gabriela Alexandrescu - binding treaty in the history of humankind. Executive President, with one of the children The history of this worldwide endorsement of the universal rights of the child from Patroaia Vale’s kindergarten, Dambovita County started with Eglantyne Jebb, who established the first Save the Children Organisation in 1919, in London. Outraged by the consequences of the First World War and of the Russian Revolution which were claiming the lives of thousands of children every day because of disease and hunger, Eglantyne Jebb decided to create an international organisation capable to intervene and improve the life of unprotected children. “It is very obvious that the salvation of children across the world is not an inherent impossibility. This becomes impossible only if we refuse to achieve it”, Eglantyne Jebb said, considering there was a need for global child protection measures, which should be known and endorsed by all the world’s countries. Thus, with tenacity and direct involvement, she developed the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and succeeded to have it adopted by the League of Nations (currently the United Nations Organisation), as the first international document where “the rights of the child” are mentioned and promoted in a consistent manner. This Declaration and its extended form of 1959 are the sources of inspiration used in the drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child from 1989. For all the achievements, Save the Children Romania proudly thanks to all children, teachers, proffessionals, volunteers, supporters, partners and donors. Ana Maria Mihăescu, President Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President 2 p6 Contents Vision, Mission, Values We Believe in 4 Preschool Education for Children from p10 Disadvantaged Groups 5 School Education for Vulnerable Children – Second Chance Programmes, Orientation and Resource Centres for Inclusive Education (COREI) 6 School after School – Protection of Children Left Home Alone 8 Educational Integration of Refugee Children and Asylum Seekers 8 BCR Hopes 9 Protection of Children against Violence 10 p18 Child Protection against Online Violence 12 Protection of Children/Youngsters in Conflict with the Law 13 Protection of Children against HIV/AIDS and TB 14 Protection of Children against Disasters 16 Observance of Child Rights 17 Global Campaign for Education (GCE) 20 Promotion of Child Rights 21 Volunteers 23 p23 Subsidiaries 24 Collaboration within Save the Children International 28 Lobby & Advocacy 30 Festival of Christmas Trees 34 Financial Report 36 Supporters/Partners 38 In 2010, the efforts of Save the Children Romania were “Save the Children is an organisation which recognised by the awarding of the following prizes within the gives me great confidence in what it is planning Civil Society Gala: second prize for “Defence of individual to achieve in terms of promoting the rights of / collective rights” for Save the Children Alternative Report the child, through all its projects and activities.” regarding the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, third prize in the “Health” category for the Romila Floreta – volunteer in the Community Resource Centre for children with parents abroad Programme “We also have rights” and Honour in the “Education and Research” category for Roma children prepare for kindergarten. 3 Mission Save the Children’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Vision Save the Children is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. VAlues we belieVe in Accountability We take personal responsibility for using our resources efficiently, achieving measurable results, and being accountable to supporters, partners and, most of all, children. Ambition We are demanding of ourselves and our colleagues, set high goals and are committed to improving the quality of everything we do for children. Collaboration We respect and value each other, thrive on our diversity, and work with partners to leverage our global strength in making a difference for children. Creativity We are open to new ideas, embrace change, and take disciplined risks to develop sustainable solutions for and with children. Integrity We aspire to live to the highest standards of personal honesty and behaviour; we never compromise our reputation and always act in the best interests of children. Photo: Save the Children Romania 4 eDuCATion Preschool education for children from disadvantaged groups Educators’lack of training, a certain inertia and parents’ lack of interest in the importance of their children’s education, as well as the families’ limited material resources are among the reasons why only 30% of Roma children are involved in preschool education, compared to the national average of 80%. he high percentage of school In order to facilitate the implemen- “I am happy that my child likes drop-out among children from tation of the activities , the necessary to come to kindergarten and Tsocially disadvantaged communities supplies, a daily meal for children and is caused, among other things, by the a package with basic food products for tells me about what she learned lack of preparation for school insertion, the families were provided throughout every day. Had I known how the differences between children who the duration of the summer groups. A many things children do here, attend kindergarten and others, leading total of 860 children aged between I would have registered her in to a difficult understanding of school 3 and 6 participated in the preparatory requirements, as well as by the pedagogical groups. With a view to increasing kindergarten last year. ” training shortages of the teachers in the awareness of the importance of Roma mother, Buzău primary education system. education, the parents were encouraged to participate every day, so that over Roma children prepare for 750 of them participated by rotation “I am very pleased with my kindergarten! in the educational activities. Following child since he started attending Noting the increase in the number the activities, 94% of the children who kindergarten. I want my children of Roma children who benefit from participated in the summer groups to learn also, so that their life were enrolled in local kindergartens or preschool education at an early age and can be easier. ” the parents’ awareness of the education schools in the school year 2010-2011, need for their children’s future, the their evolution and attendance being Roma mother, programme started from the idea monitored by the educator. Maciova, Caraş Severin County that early education contributes to the harmonious development of the child’s Impact personality, while laying the foundations The educational activities contri- “I like to come to kindergarten. for future school and social integration. bu ted to increasing the interest of We have toys and food, the 43 summer education groups the Roma communities in education, ladies are good to me.” were organised at the national level, the maintaining children in school for Antonio (6 years old), kindergartens being selected, with the a longer period and increasing the support of the County School Inspec- professional training opportunities for Salcea, Suceava County torates, from disadvantaged communities an independent and decent life. All with a majority Roma ethnic population. these aspects, accompanied by the best Training courses were organised for the examples within the project, opinions educators involved (43 educators and 42 of the educators, parents and children school mediators), including information will be included in a best practice guide about the Roma history and traditions, which will be published at the beginning methods to communicate with the Roma of 2011 and distributed to all County children and parents and interactive School Inspectorates, with a view to education tools. extending the project nationwide. 5 EDUCATION school education for vulnerable children - second Chance Programmes, orientation and Resource Centres for inclusive education (CoREI) The school drop-out rate has increased three times for primary and secondary education in the period 2000-2009, which means that more than 40,000 children leave the primary and secondary educational systems. In addition to them, there is a significant number of children who are not included in the statistics as they were never registered in school. o support children who work complex educational services for and dropped out or were never the prevention and remediation Tregistered in school, Save the of school drop-out.