Transylvania. Romania
Băile Tușnad, Transylvania, in the autumn was a beautiful setting for our 2019 Strategia Nationala de Actiune Comunitara (SNAC ) conference. Nearly 50 County & School Coordinators, directors, teachers, and I attended the conference. With representatives from nearly 40 counties, this event celebrated past successes and generated creative thinking focused on consolidating and expanding the programme into new areas. Glodeanu Cristinel Fanel, Deputy General Inspector of Harghita County, opened the conference.
SNAC operates with the support of the AMAR International Charitable Foundation, which was established nearly 30 years ago by the Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne.
The Community Action programme has brought together volunteers and beneficiaries in a wide range of activities designed to increase the inclusion of disadvantaged children into Romanian society. Around 230,000 children are already involved in the programme, which covers dance, seasonal community events, concerts, theatre, ecological projects, helping the elderly and building relationships between children from special schools, technical, economic, medical colleges, grammar & high schools and kindergartens.
This work was inspired by the sight of Romanian orphans living in terrible conditions in institutions designed to keep them hidden from the rest of Romanian society, seen after the fall of the Ceausescu regime. Many of these institutions have since been modernised, but the need to integrate and include disadvantaged children into Romanian society remains. Much has been achieved already, but there is more that can be done.
We are always looking for funding to keep the programme running and build on our successes. Please send me a message if you would like to help.
Chris Frost, AMAR International Charitable Foundation
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