Cluj

The School for the Blind, Cluj-Napoca

The project goal is to ensure that the disabled child's rights to education, social integration and medical care are met.

The School for the Blind from Cluj-Napoca is attended by about 250 sight-impaired children. For them, FRCCF organized and financed educational and socialisation activities, clubs (painting, instrumental music, gym, chess, computing and plastic arts).

To help these blind school children socialize better, they are invited to the EVERYCHILD Community Centre, where they join the community centre children in the personal development group. Moreover, they went on trips with children from other schools. These are great opportunities for them to improve their communication skills, gain confidence and open up.

In 2005, the school children's glass paintings were exhibited for sale at the Town Hall of Cluj-Napoca and more than a third of them were sold. The works were also awarded at the Romanian Folk Artists Festival.

FRCCF also funds the Torbal team (a ball game especially created for sight-impaired children) which came first at the international Torbal competition from Bern (Switzerland) last year.

Bihor

Tileagd Placement Centre

The Tileagd Placement Centre accommodated 120 disabled children from Bihor County, who were attending the Helping School from the village. The centre was closed down in October 2005, and some of the children were placed in other similar institutions from the county (Oradea, Popesti) and, when possible, in their families.

The main goal of the FRCCF project run in this institution was to help 120 children with special needs to develop to their full potential. A major objective was to integrate them in the local community and the society.

Some of the project activities were spare time and social ones: house holding course aiming at teaching children how to self-manage and get ready for the world outside the institution, and craftsmanship, painting and pottery courses helping participants discover and develop their talents and creativity.

Trips, sports events and recovery gym were carried out as a fun way to spend the spare time and to help placement centre children integrate faster in new groups. They had birthday parties with children from the village as guests. They also celebrated together June 1st, Christmas and Easter which improved their self-esteem and enhanced their integration in the local community and the society.

Beius and Tinca Placement Centres

The goals of the projects carried out in these placement centres were to integrate institutionalised children in the society and improve their healthcare by providing the treatment some of them needed. 38 of the children went on a 7-day mountain camp at Maguri Racatau and participated in the event "Mountains, the Highest Friends". There they had the chance to work in teams and get some environment education. After these children's situation had improved, FRCCF decided to end its funding.

The Beius Placement Centre, which accommodated over 100 children, was closed down. Two group homes were set up in the village where 24 children are currently living. The other children were moved to placement centres in the county or reintegrated in their family. The 24 group home children were assisted and 5 school graduates, who were to be employed and rent a place on their own, were helped buy the things needed to become independent: pots, bedclothes, clothes, etc.

The Tinca Placement Centre, which used to accommodate 50 children, was closed down. 36 of them are now living in group homes, and the others were moved to placement centres in the county or reintegrated in their family.

Satu Mare

No 11 Placement Centre from Halmeu

The Halmeu institution-based project has 79 beneficiary children who live in Halmeu Placement Centre, divided in family-type groups of 13-15 children each. Each group owns dormitories, a kitchen and bathroom, replicating as much as possible a normal family environment.

The children received school supplies and learnt to self-manage so that they could stand on their own feet when they leave the institution. Thus, they could join a cooking club, where they learn how to cook, a carpentry club to learn a trade and how to fix broken things around the house, a handiwork club where they make different items, from small jewellery to clothes, and the little householders club teaching them how to garden and raise animals.

Every month, birthday parties were thrown for the children born that month. The birthday children felt valued because they got presents and Happy Birthday wishes. For Christmas and Easter they got presents from Santa Claus and Easter Bunny.

Although children should benefit from free medical care, in some cases their medical insurance does not cover the medical care expenses (for example a special dioptre or a serious disease for which treatment is extremely costly). Whenever this happened, FRCCF provided financial support.

FRCCF co-organised trips and other leisure activities throughout the entire year. All the children went on at least one trip in the country, 13 of them even had the chance to go to France and 24 to Hungary.

No 1 Helping School and No 6 Placement Centre for Children with Special Needs Satu Mare

In the Placement Centre for Children with Special Needs, 33 children are currently assisted. 256 children attend the No 1 Helping School, including the ones from the Centre. Of all children, 53 have hearing disorders and 203 are mentally disabled.

Thanks to the FRCCF support, 30 children from the Centre could visit their families. In some cases, the parents are too poor to cover the children's travel costs to go home and back to Halmeu. For this reason, even if the parents keep in touch and want to see their child, they often give up and think that it is better for the child to stay in the institution because he/she doesn't go hungry there.

School supplies and materials for (carpentry, painting, tailoring) clubs, magazines, specialised books and notebooks were bought for the children attending the Helping School.

All the children benefited from medical care and free treatment when they were sick.

Last year, all the children received pocket money, they had birthday parties and the International Day of Deaf People was celebrated. All these activities had an impact on their harmonious personality development and aimed at boosting their self-confidence, self-esteem and sense of property. All the children took part in the Vacation Day activities organised by FRCCF in the Garden of Rome from Satu Mare, and each of them received a present. Furthermore, an exhibition of all the works the children had made at the tapestry work club was organised. The exhibition was attended by children from other placement centres and representatives of institutions from Satu Mare.

Salaj

Simleul Silvaniei

The Community Services Unit from Simleul Silvaniei is an institution for children with special needs. The Foundation stands by these children when facing hardship. It helps them grow up harmoniously and makes sure they have equal opportunities.

Over 70 children were supported in their attempts to keep in touch with their family; FRCCF reimbursed the bus tickets or the institution bus patrol costs.

More than 60 children went on trips and visits to museums and monasteries, widening their horizon. The youngest joined the plastic arts club, handiwork and gardening activities. Glasses were made for 11 children from FRCCF funds.