Presenting a high rate of child abandonment, confronted with acute social, economical, sanitary and cultural problems, as the result of a multitude of difficulties that the Romanian society has to face, the roma (gipsy) community of Vurpar came to the attention of the social department of our foundation in 1999. Opening a social service in this community responds to both socio-economical and educational needs. The community in Vurpar counts 1100 members, 500 of them being between the ages of 0- 17 years old. To get a clear view of the situation, the first thing to be done was an intense process of social survey of the families in each household of the village. Finding very acute problems in the community we tried to take care of them in a priority order: health, education, emergency material support, relational and communication support. The main beneficiaries are children and youth up to 17 years old, the services are focusing on the numerous families (4 –9 children) from whom the health state is precarious and the living conditions extremely poor.

Opening a permanent social office in the community.

Assistance and social mediation for needy families.

Encouraging school attendance and the continuation of the educative process.

Encouraging and sustaining private initiatives both profitable and non-profitable.

Creating an emergency aid supply.

Assistance and social mediation for needy families together with parents and citizen’s education.

Encouragement of school attendance and of the continuation of the educative process. Stimulation of the psycho-emotional development of children through educational activities in the community and the school.

Care taking, formal and informal education of children up to 7 years old during the summer kindergarten project.

Support (offering material and informational consultancy) of private initiatives both profitable and non-profitable which could help increasing the families and the community life standards.

Nutrition support providing daily kits and than through offering a free warm lunch in the renovated community canteen for 100 children aged between 5 to 15 years old from poor families.

Material support through an emergency aid stock (with the help of the Local Town Hall).

Creation of the summer kindergarten and oppening of the canteen for children. Stimulation of the psycho-affective development of the children. Development of educative activities by the fondation’s educators and many volonteers both from the (Pedagogical College) and foreign volonteers (France). We help sustaining their going to school and the continuation of the educational process.

Facilitation of the access to the basic medical assistance and health control. Couple’s education regarding familly planning from the year 2000 which was when the fondation succeeded in establishing a community health center with proper furniture and equipment necessary for it’s well functionning.

Help with clothing, food, medical and educational material.

We opened the access to work, by guiding 6 construction workers and we started an action plan following the initiative of the Dana Confex SRL compagny for the devlopment of a production sector for 30 persons hired in the community of Vurpar.

Distribution of free medication following the recommandations of the community health center’s doctor.