ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT

AGAPEDIA FOUNDATION ROMANIA

Assistance and Support for Children and Families in Need

ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT

2014

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Contents

I. AGAPEDIA – Love for Children 3

II. The President’s Message 4

III. What we provided in 2014 5

IV. 2014 – facts and data 6

V. Partners 12

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I. AGAPEDIA – Love for Children

AGAPEDIA Foundation AGAPEDIA Foundation At a national and local level, Romania was established in Romania is a member of the AGAPEDIA is a member of August 1995, aiming to improve international network AGAPEDIA, Community Aid Network in the quality life of children and alongside Jürgen Klinsmann Brasov, Federation of Non- families in difficulty, to contribute AGAPEDIA Stiftung Germany, Governmental Organizations for to the development of the child AGAPEDIA Foundation Moldova, Children and of Social NGO protection system and to create and AGAPEDIA Foundation Network in Romania. efficient social and medical Bulgaria. services.

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II. President’s message

Stefan Barth President of Agapedia Foundation Romania General Manager of Agapedia Jurgen Klinsmann Foundation Germany

Dear partners and friends,

In 2014 we focused our efforts to improve communities we live in, being more involved and willing to change for the better our lives and the lives of those around us.

Agapedia Foundation team focused their efforts in attracting European funding, after which in the period 2012 – 2014 successfully implemented its first project “RurActiv – integrated project to improve the employment rate in Tarlungeni, Apata and Budila Communes (Brasov County, Romania)”. In December 2013, competent authorities approved other 2 grant applications: „ RurAbility – integrated project to improve the employment rate of persons employed in subsistence agriculture, persons in search of job and unemployed persons from rural areas of Brașov County” and „Workability - multidisciplinary initiative for increasing the employment rate and employment capacity of inactive persons on the labour market and long-term unemployed people in Brasov County”, co-financed from the Social European Fund 2007 – 2013, starting April 2014. This two new initiatives implemented in rural and urban areas from Brasov County meant organizing new training courses, providing to our beneficiaries specific assistance for obtaining a job and starting of an independent activity.

Also, we continued to provide other specific services for which Agapedia was accredited: national adoption, family planning and contraception, assistance and support for families and children in need.

The year that passed also meant continuing collaboration, at local and international level, with other NGOs in order to promote civic participation and support for common causes. Regarding strengthening public- private partnership, we continued collaboration with school units in Brasov, by organizing specific activities for children, and also with local public institutions by extending the social service contract for “Astra day care centre for children at risk”.

Thank you all those with whom we efficiently collaborated, financers, partners and especially team members without which we could not have been a real support in the lives of persons we interacted with.

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III. What we provided in 2014

 National adoption service

 Integrated social service for children and families in need

 Medical cabinet for family planning and contraception

 Non-formal education

 Holiday workshops

 Creative worksops

 Social service for „Astra day care centre for children at risk”

 Qualification courses for adults for commercial worker, food worker and maid, authorised by National Authority for Qualifications

 Employment Agency Counselling and labour market mediation service, accredited by Brașov County

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IV. 2014 – facts and data

735 children involved in activities 697 medical examinations and counselling 500 kg of food distributed 478 persons counselled and mediated for labour market integration 350 persons participated at training programs

1. National Adoption

Activities for adopted children, their parents, and also for the families who want to adopt: . Two counselling sessions for adopted children . The Christmas festivity for the adopted children, named “Vocational aptitude testing”, where have being testing crafts such as: chamber maid, waiter, cook, electrician, hairdresser, manicurist . Support group on theme “Fears of adoptive parents”, for adoptive families . Five potential adoptive families were informed about internal adoption procedures . Five training courses to prepare adopters for knowingly taking the parent role, on which took part 35 families, were organized at Agapedia Foundation headquarter.

2. Material and financial support for vulnerable children and families:

. food . dippers . powder milk for infants . beds for children . medicaments . school supplies . the payment of some medical analysis . specialty medical examination . medical equipment . clothing . shoes . bed sheets, towels . cleaning materials . public transport passes for children and parents . school bags and supplies for children . support for medical insurance payment needed for medical retirement file, neuropsychiatric appointment and examination needed for the retirement file, appointment for orthopaedics and gastroenterology examination . support for loading gas cylinders/bottles and buying a stove pipe . support for obtaining birth certificates duplicates for 4 children . support for children traveling to ”Art Camp” organized by Agapedia Foundation Germany in Esslingen . two persons were guided towards CNAS Bra ov, Bra ov labour evaluation medical commission,

ș ș . for one beneficiary, we made steps for filing the file for illness retirement (Bra ov House of Râșnov City Hall and Codlea City Hall and we helped change the family doctor ș Pensions, Brașov health Insurance House, Făgăraș Hospital); we paid for medical insurance . Neuropsychiatry for hospital admission, for an appointment to a physician for a free consult and medicalwe intervened analysis, for for obtaining an appoi anntment appointment to County to Neuropsychiatry Hospital - orthopaedics, at LSM Brașov for obtaining and Brașov an

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appointment at Hyperdia – gastroenterology and also for an appointment to County Hospital – Radiology. . counselling. 37 persons from 3 communities (Apața, Budila and Tărlungeni) beneficiated from professional . 38 persons participated at mediation sessions for obtaining a job. . an Israeli little girl and her mother beneficiated of psychological counselling for overcoming

. 36 children received school bags and supplies. problems (divorce, loss of contact with a country they lived in last 8 years) . 6 persons were sent to Profile International Foundation and were taken in evidence for medical investigations. . we organized at our headquarters an Easter celebration for children in our evidence. . on the occasion of Child’s day, 5 volunteers, students at Social Assistance Faculty – Transilvania University, together with and adoptive parent and a group of children developed and participated

. four of the children in our evidence participated at an “Art Camp” organized by Agapedia atFoundation leisure activities in Esslingen. in Tractorul Park, Brașov. . Agapedia Foundation participated with the children from families to creative activities during Open Park Festival . we did 13 evaluations of biological families with children in placement to maternal assistants or

other persons. Evaluation was done in the residence of families in: Codlea, Făgăraș, Viștea de Jos, Olteț village, Victoria City and Lisa commune. 3. Medical cabinet for family planning and contraception

. 697 medical consults . 24 vulnerable women, mainly from rural area, received IUD insertion . 156 free tests for - Papanicolau cervical testing . 37 pregnancy tests Babeș (six results with changes) . 60 free gynaecological and abdominal ultrasounds

4. Non-formal Education Personal

hygiene 4.1 “Puberty and adolescence” Reproductive Agapedia mobile team went in schools and health high informative sessions, on different topics. development of a schools from Brașov County in order to hold healthy and Topics discussed: responsible sexual behaviour Informative sessions on topics related to sexual Underage

Education for a total of 397 students from the pregnancy Sexually prevention following schools and high schools: transmitted . disease Abortion and prevention consequences . School n School no. 30 Brașov . Risks of o. 27 “Anatol Germanschi” Brașov Underage . beginning “Grigore Antipa” Science College Brașov sex life pregnancy . Teliu Secondary School prevention “Andrei Mureșanu” High School Brașov

4.2 Holiday workshops A holiday workshop entitled „Let’s learn from proverbs” was organized at Agapedia Foundation head During this workshop, children participated at different activities, in accordance with the proverbs used,quarter, like cooking located muffins in Brașov, and creating Bisericii photo Române frames, Street musical no. 48. instruments or beards bracelets.

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4.3 Creative workshops

City, with the youngster involvement: Agapedia Foundation team organized creative workshops for pupils from few schools from Brașov . “Fimo” (modelling clay) workshops – 6 classes involved, with 150 children . Paper quilling workshops – 2 classes involved, with 50 children

4.4 “Different School” Program 5 classes with approximately 150 children took part at activities. During these activities were presented the rights and responsibilities of children through shadow theatre method, followed by a creative activity, named iris folding.

The shadow theatre – is an alternative form of communication, which helps children to assess the messages, to which they are exposed daily, in a critically-constructive way. Shadow Theatre is that form of performing arts in which the characters from script are bring to life by the play of puppeteer, using a light source and the shadows of some objects specially created for the artistic act.

Iris Folding – rom coloured paper are laid in layers, in a spiral on the back of an opening. The name Iris Folding is given for the fact that it resembles the irisThis of is a a photo technique camera. through which folded strips (bent) f

5. Contracting the social service for “Astra Day Care Centre for children in risk situation”

Contract for supply of services, under which Agapedia should provide social services for “Astra day careIn 2012, centre between for children Agapedia in risk Foundation situation”, and unity Brașov subordina Social Service Directorate was signed a Services. ted to Brașov Directorate of Social

Services: . EducationalThe social services activities developed for the children in risk situation, from Brașov Directorate of Social . Leisure and socializing activities . Counselling activities

Under this agreement, Agapedia Foundation has provided educational, psychological and recreational activities for children aged 7-10. The services offered were developed to both children and their parents or legal representatives. The contract was completed on 1st of August 2014.

6. Training and Specialized programs

Organizing new authorized courses for adults: . Specialized program for entrepreneurial competences, authorized in 2014 by National Authority for Qualifications . Qualification courses for adults for: commercial worker, food worker and maid, authorized by National Authority for Qualifications. A number of 350 persons graduated our courses in 2014

7. Counselling and labour market mediation, accredited by Brașov County Employment Agency . 478 persons benefited of counselling and employment mediation services in order to find a proper job

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8. EU grants

8.1 “RurActiv – integrated project to improve the employment rate in Tărlungeni, Apa a and Budila Communes (Brașov County, Romania)” ț Implementation period: 01.02.2012 – 31.01.2014. Partners: , Co-financed through European Social Fund - Operational Sectoral Human Resources Development Program Tărlungeni2007 – 2013 City “Invest Hall, Budila in People!” City Hall, PriorityApața City Axis Hall no. 5: Promoting active employment measures, Key Area of Intervention 5.2. – Promoting long-term sustainability of rural areas in terms of human resources development and employment Buget: 2.091.503,95 lei (RON)

Project general objective was to create a sustainable system of supporting employment in T rlungeni, Budila, and Apa a (from Bra were inactive on labour market benefited of free training courses for baby sitter, sanitary mediator andă elderly home care. ț șov County), through which persons from rural areas that

Project results: . Over 1000 persons were informed about the importance of training and legal employment, about risks of illegal work, about support services that can be accessed by persons from rural area in Bra . 18 beneficiaries were involved in network o . 6 trainingșov County courses in order were to organized get employed; and 102 persons obtained a qualification as baby sitter, elderly f promoters of rural development; . inchome care or sanitary mediator; . 21212 beneficiaries persons from obtained Apața, a job. Budila and Tărlungeni benefited from specialized assistance for reasing employment chances; 8.2 “RurAbility – integrated project to improve the employment rate of persons employed in subsistence agriculture, persons in search of job and unemployed persons from rural areas of Brașov County”

Implementation period: 04.04.2014 – 03.10.2015.

Project co-financed through European Social Fund - Operational Sectoral Human Resources DevelopmentPartner: Community Program Aid 2007Network – 2013 (CAN) “Invest Association in People!” Brașov, Priority Axis no. 5: Promoting active employment measures, Key Area of Intervention 5.2. – Promoting long-term sustainability of rural areas in terms of human resources development and employment. Buget: 2.171.781,25 lei (RON)

Project general objective was to create a sustainable system of increasing employment rate for people employed in subsistence agriculture, for persons searching for a job and unemployed persons in the rural area of Bra ov County.

8.3 “Workability - multidisciplinaryș initiative for increasing the employment rate and employment capacity of inactive persons on the labour market and long-term unemployed people in Brașov County”

Implementation period: 04.04.2014 – 03.10.2015

Project co-financed through European Social Fund - Operational Sectoral Human Resources DevelopmentPartner: Community Program Aid 2007Network – 2013 (CAN) “Invest Association in People!” Brașov, Priority Axis no. 5: Promoting active employment measures, Key Area of Intervention 5.1. “Developing and implementing Active Employment Measures”. Buget: 2.171.892,29 lei (RON)

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The main objective of the Workability project was to improve employment capacity for 270 inactive persons and long term unemployed form Brasov County, from which minimum 50% women and 30% young.

8.4 “Access to broadband and connected services for Agapedia Foundation Romania” financed through European Regional Development Fund.

Project general objective was to increase the use of T AGAPEDIA Foundation Romania, not only regarding management activity but also in terms of direct providing of social, medical, philological and occupationalIC (information services technology for children, and computer) women and in families at risk.

Project was implemented between July 2014 and December 2014.

9. International projects

„DonauWandel”

The main objective of the project “DonauWandel” was to promote the transnational civic participation in accordance with the European Union Strategy for

Motto: “moving - meeting – making” the Danube Region (EUSDR).

Funders: Foundation of the Federal State Baden-Württemberg, The State Ministry of Baden- Württemberg, Liebenau Foundation and Diakonie Baden Organization.

Project was implemented between the years 2012 – 2014, and consists in organizing meetings and forums on a variety of subjects and themes with direct impact on children, youngsters and adult’s lives. In the project were involved and took part a number of 216 participants and 77 organizations from Danube countries: Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Republic of Moldova.

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V. Partners

. . Consiliul Judeţean Braşov . General Directorate of Social Assistance and ov Brașov County Council . Child Protection Braș . Brașov Directorate of Social Services . Brașov Public Health Department . Children's Hospital Brașov . Transylvania University of Brașov . mity Police Brașov Contraceptive and Sexual Education Society . Brașov County Police Inspectorate through Proxi . National Agency Against Trafficking in Person, Brașov Regional Centre . Brașov County Employment Agency . Brașov County School Inspectorate . pment Probation Service Brasov next to Brașov Law Court . “Viscri Begins” Association Brașov Metropolitan Association for Sustainable Develo . Romanian Association Against AIDS - . Metropolitan Greek- Brașov Branch . Prolife International Foundation Catholic Caritas Blaj, Brașov Branch . “Joy of Giving” Foundation . Foundation for Abandoned Children . entre for prevention, evaluation and counselling . Brașov Antidrug C . Budila City Hall, Brașov . Dumbrăvița City Hall, Brașov . Tărlungeni City Hall, Brașov . Prejmer City Hall Apața City Hall, Brașov . . “Grigore Antipa” Science College Brașov . “Matthies “Ţara Bârsei” College Prejmer . Teutsch” Brașov School of Fine Arts . ”Andrei Mureșanu” High School Brașov . ”Tudor Ciortea” Music High School Brașov . School no. 6 “Iacob Mureşianu” Brașov . School no. 14 Brașov . School no. 27 “Anatol Germanschi” Brașov . School no. 30 Brașov . Prejmer Secondary School School no. 31 Brașov . . Teliu Secondary School Dumbrăvița Secondary School . Augustin Secondary School . . Vama Buzăului Secondary School . “Lazăr Tâmpa” Secondary School Almaş, Arad . SC Wendy – Impex SRL Bra “Ioan Buteanu” Industrial School Group Gurahonţ, Arad șov

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AGAPEDIA Foundation Romania No 48 Bisericii Române Street

Phone/Fax:Brașov, 0368 500080-409115 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.agapedia.ro

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