HEALTH AID ROMANIA'S FIRST NEWSLETTER


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ISSUE #1/JANUARY 2000


HEADLINES

News from the children's homes - by the children! Stories The 'SMILE' Campaign Politics and news Articles



Just Santa?
Tension. Energy. High spirits. Christmas carols are filling the chilled air with vibration. Candlelight are glowing on every Christmas tree.

Not many have tried to explain to children: who is Santa? For the first time, the Birth of Jesus Christ has been feasted in traditional pagan rites in early XIXth century England. Afterwards, all children in the Christian world assumed this is the way in which things should happen. All the pleas, most secret desires and deeply wanted toys are accumulating into every child mind on Christmas. Second to none is the sentiment of confidence that Santa has not forgotten his home, that gifts will come, whatever the faults.

Tradition is witnessing that if customs are obeyed, people will enjoy a prosperous new year. Confidence is expressed in the decorations of the Christmas tree: flowers meant to attract the love and consideration of others, sweets give the message of future wealth, toys and ornaments as a token of our desire to be appreciated. Candles and lights signify confidence that light will defeat darkness, that good will conquer all.

Every child is asking: who is Santa? Finding accidentally that behind Santa's presents is mother and father is making many children sad. Others prolong the hope until adolescence. For Health Aid children Dana, Marius, Gabi, Bogdan, Vasile, Gogu, Nicu, Lili and the others, Santa is us working at Health Aid. We learned to care for them, love them, treat them with respect and consideration and taught them to enjoy life, and happiness. Every day we see that children enjoy their new life... We learned from them to give life new consideration and be better ourselves. But even better than this gift we have the feeling that the children's prayers are heard. We understood we had to be more than Santa Claus in December, we could give our children tender loving care every day and they trust us completely. It is us who say to our children:

Thank You for your confidence!



Gifts in a shoebox
Every year, on Christmas Eve, children from Great Britain participate to "The Shoebox campaign". Using old shoeboxes, children are preparing gifts: educational supplies, candies and sweets, toys for the disadvantaged children.

Let's see what Jade is wishing to Romanian children: "My name is Jade Ashley Parry. I am age 7 and I go to St. James School. I like dancing and I have 5 fish, a hamster, a budgie, and a cockatiel. I hope you like the things I have sent you. Love from Jade".

With the kind help of the 'Children in Distress' Foundation hundreds of children received a gift. All the children living in the Immune Deficiencies ward and more than 150 children registered at the Sunflower AIDS day-clinic of the Infectious Diseases Institute ‘Matei Bals’ received shoeboxes. The 34 children living in Health Aid houses have not been forgotten.

Questioned in a classical fashion: Did you behave this year?, one of the boys living in the ward came back with fair-play: "Yes, I admit! I did not behave and disappointed all the nurses. But I do not believe that my faults were unpardonable, so that Santa forgets me completely".



SMILE: Help is Rolling
Beginning of December, the SMILE Romania Appeal offered the first gifts to children in need. During the October TV show, Excellent sweets manufacturer donated 3 mil worth of candies. All the candies were donated at the Christmas trees in the hospital.

With Agape foundation help, five underprivileged families received boxes with food and clothes.

A special intervention is the case of Olimpia from Titesti, Arges County. She is the only person caring for her tetraplegic mother and has never attended school. She is now 12 years old, she is very pretty and witty, but chopping wood for heating and cooking and carrying the buckets of water for more than 1 km, represent her day-to-day routine. The house has no electricity and there are no prospects that the situation will change in the near future. Olimpia's personal sacrifice gives her mother the chance to survive, but surely the price paid by Olimpia is unacceptable: a childhood without happiness.

Compaq Romania offered a computer to Nicoleta, a child disabled since birth. Her old chair, useless today, was replaced by SMILE, who donated a brand new wheelchair.



Casa Garofita: We slept in the morning hours
We, the children in Garofita House, went to a costume party at the Officers House, we danced a lot, we had lot of juices, and we got many presents.

We were invited at Cotroceni Palace (Romanian Presidency residence), we received Christmas gifts from the Presidency's staff and the members of the Abracadabra children show team; we took photos with the President, Emil Constantinescu.

At Bucharest Mall we saw a singing tree and an incredible Santa Claus dancing, spinning and contorting his arms like a gymnast.

On Christmas holidays we went sleighing, we built a snowman…We organised a Christmas festivity at school; lots of song and Christmas carols and a lot of verses hoping for a prosperous new year. Nearby the tree we found many gifts and sweets. Incredibly, we found money for our winter boots.

On New Year's Eve we ate like never, many of us prepared and were hungry they could eat a horse; we drank Champagne and as everybody else did we fired fireworks. We managed to get some sleep in the morning when the electricity went out.

So, we had a wonderful Christmas holiday!



Children from Casa Garofita




Who helped us
We are proud to acknowledge the people who helped us have a wonderful Christmas celebration. The Catholic Association Caritas gave our children toys and lots of sweets. The Shoe Box Campaign made a stunning effect on children: ‘Children in Distress’ offered hundreds of boxes to the little patients of Colentina Hospital and the children registered at the Sunflower day clinic. A catholic organization from Munich arrived in a snowy Bucharest on Dec. 29th; Mr. Huppenburger was delighted to give children lots of toys and clothes.

From Japan, "Women for World Peace" and "Romania AIDS Child" Foundations offered money, fruits and toys.

McDonalds Romania was kind to detail a "professional" Santa for our Christmas tree party, as well as all the Happy Meals needed.

‘International Women Association’ organised charity balls; the benefits were donated to HIV children. SIROIS Foundation helped us over the year with committed volunteers, members of the X-pats community.

The children from Snagov have a new house to live in. With ‘Sperante’ Foundation help the bathrooms have been completely refurbished with state of the art plumbing. To a new house, a new dressing for the children: Petruta Dyer offered to girls and boys beautiful clothes.

Our gratitude to the Daughters of Charity St. Vincent de Paul for their contribution. Over a long time their financing was the only resource for ameliorating the life conditions and the development of care standard for the children from Snagov House, Garofita House and Veronica House. This help was all the more beneficial for all the children in our care as it was their first experience in a different environment than the institution, the family type of care.

We thank you all!



Casa Lita: We were stunned
For us the children in Lita House, the Christmas holiday started with the festivities at school; it was a moment of joy and happiness for us, the performers, but also for our guests. We trust Santa's generosity and we consider him very generous.

Before Christmas preparations were under way: sausages, the local 'sarmale', salads, mashed potatoes, stakes, and lots of chips. We bought Coca-Cola, Pepsi and spring water. This was a lot to do for the week.

On Christmas day we woke up in the morning, we went in the dining room, the tree of glittering full of candles and lights, and surprise! We were stunned. Santa was there and gave us lots of sweets and toys. We would play all day with the toys, but the food in the kitchen demanded us urgently: scent and aromas were filling the room making our belly react immediately. We sat and ate around the table after the prayers were vowed.

We danced and played all day long and we had visitors: Mr. Platt, Ms Monica and Mr. Iani. After the chores it was time to enjoy TV; we jumped on it.

Last, but not least, we feasted New Year's Eve. It is our desire that the New Year will bring a better world, with children living happily in their families, a world free of wars and isolation (in which children would have their homes and families).

The children from Lita House say to you adults: Thank You!, for your care and consideration, and for helping us to enjoy every year beautiful festivities.



Nicusor from Casa Lita




Casa Roxana: The little brother
Great happiness for all of us at Roxana House… The children of Casa Roxana have a little brother. Long was the wait for Sorina and Mihai, the parents of the house, but patience was paid back: in December Cristian was born. They were expecting a girl, but, never mind, they have now a son. It is Fana and Maria's luck: they have a brother to play with, beside Robert, naturally.

Surprise for all: a journalist from Radio Romania interviewed the children. The little radio stars were unstoppable. Pure energy unleashed in front of the microphone: the most important topic, the little brother.

The Christmas festivities were a moment of intense joy: candies, sweets, toys … The works.

The visitor's glance cannot see the signs of traumatic experiences, of a broken childhood due hospital abandonment or life in the streets. Some say altruism is a special gift. Beyond everyday mishaps, beyond the absence of natural parents, in the children eyes the love for life and siblings is evident. The children can raise their head proudly among equals, without fear, anxiety or hate.

The special "trade" of altruism is absorbed everyday in the process of education. The first and the most important educators are the parents. They offer to children dignity and the possibility to be equal among equals.

Our very special thanks goes to the Save the Children organisation and Mr. Hans Noordsy from The Netherlands who helped our children and us constantly with money and food.



Children from Roxana House




Is child protection reform a must?
The ex-Prime Minister, Radu Vasile, considered the questions on institutionalised children of the EU Commissioners as totally out place, and the issue worth to be neglected. Many bureaucrats do not understand even today why EU institutions consider the adequate solution of institutionalisation as a sample of the management of the government and the political establishment.

The reform of the public child protection system is imperatively required by the EU. After 75 mil Euro spent on the child protection strategy until 1997, we found ourselves begging again for emergency help. The help has come, over 20 mil Euro, but directed to individual institutions and for basic needs. The National Agency for Child Protection and the newly appointed leader, Dr Vlad Romano, will not solve the problem.

As Dr. Cristian Tabacaru, ex-Secretary of State at the Dept. for Child Protection, considered that: "the solution lies in continuously reforming the system, getting adequate funding for programmes and in adequate provisions for children in foster care or kept with their biological parents".

While reform will require money, the lack of funding is not the most important problem. There is reluctance at all levels of government to prioritise social services for marginalised groups; preventive services are needed to help families keep children at home. New professions need to be supported and new kinds of social services are needed. Adoption and foster care should be stimulated and used more flexibly, with proper recruitment, support and monitoring. Nevertheless, conditions within children's homes must be monitored to ensure adequate care. The planning and management of services requires reliable data, further more than the total number in care.

Coherence is the flavour of the day, because the lack of it has given bureaucrats the opportunity to turn the child's interest into means to satisfy their own interests. The efforts of NGOs and the principles they defend are still the driving force behind reform. They are the only alternative to institutionalisation and abandonment.?



Casa Snagov: A winter night dream
It's Christmas Eve… Dark clouds are pouring snow over the roofs. In the diffuse light the snow is gleaming, trees look younger and prettier dressed in white. At night the moon is glowing, dressed sharply in yellow ornaments, and smiles like an impertinent butterfly. The houses look like cookies cover in sweet cream. Un-be-liev-able!… Christmas is coming!

The bells toll distantly hailing the Lord Jesus. Children and adults gather in the churchyard singing faintly Christmas carols. The girls look merrily all around, their faces expressing real joy as everybody else should express.

Christmas! This day is special and this time Santa is flogging his elks in the neighbourhood, even over our chimney. I could not see him, but I was very glad to stumble on the basket full of sweets, fruits and cookies, wrap the paper on the gift box.

The Christmas feast was unbelievable. Candles were glittering on the table, truly a feast. All of us we gathered around our mother (Mihaela, the mother of Snagov House), she was happy to feel us near. Not to forget, we went singing carols and the neighbors from the village gave us pancakes, apples and money.

As days go by, New Year's Eve is here. Rush hours… people running for the last moment buy: nice food, some fancy clothes; you know… the works. On New Year evening we had a moment of high spirits: searching for the prettiest dress, last minute make-up, a spray of perfume. We waited this night with joy and joy it was in saying "Cheers!" with cups full of bubbling wine. We danced, we watched New Year's festivities all around the world on TV. At 1 AM it was time for traditional carols: ‘capra’ (the goat); mother was the first one to embrace us. Once again bubbling wine and cakes. Wonderful!

The top event was the visit we paid to Petruta, Irvin and Maria where we found a house full of people greeting us and being very friendly to us. We sang Christmas songs, we received lots of gifts and we had a dinner we will not forget. Thank you all! ?





Children from Casa Snagov




SMILE: Who's benefit
Only recently, European Union executives gave us the recommendation to present on Europe's canvas something different than street children and beggars. To match to what is requested from us it is compulsory to move further from deeply entrenched hopes that "the Father State will fulfill all its commitments". The SMILE Romania Appeal is the reflection of the personal commitment of the average citizen to invest into the education and quality of life of underprivileged children. If poverty is hampering access to education for healthy children, the children with disabilities, chronically ill or living in the streets have no real opportunities for schooling; this is why they miss the sentiment of belonging to society at adulthood. It is far cheaper to prevent than to heal and we are confident that education is the only solution affordable in abating social deviance and exclusion.

To promote education and the values of society we have started the SMILE Romania Appeal. The society's interest is directly expressed by the success of SMILE. The chances for profit are equal for both the donors and the children in need.?



Parting …
In a recent interview, Mrs Nora Godwin, UNICEF Special Representative in Romania, considered the most important causes of the child protection system as: "the lack of adequate mechanisms to sustain decentralisation of authority and decision, and monitor the implementation of reforms. The build-up of bureaucracy within the administrative management structures is affecting the efficiency of any initiatives. We may say that the prevalent interest of the child has been translated into the priorities of the bureaucrat. The faulty co-ordination between various authorities directly responsible for caring for disadvantaged children has led to inequities and incoherence in accessing the much-needed protection".

Mrs Godwin has emphasized, "NGOs are decisive in developing the child protection in Romania. Mainly representatives of the civil sector have initiated the reform of the child protection system; have expressed it in adequate legislation; and came into life as a consequence of the mutual partnership between governmental and NGO structures".

Over the years, UNICEF has been a constant partner of NGOs and central and local authorities. Many can testify the openness and support provided by UNICEF and we are certain that only financial constraints have prevented the development of projects.

We said parting, because Mrs. Godwin left Romania for a post at UNICEF Headquarters New York. Although the distance is far, Nora Godwin will be forever Health Aid children and employees friend.?



Casa Sanda: We sang carols
For us at Sanda House, Christmas preparations started on December 15th. Mother, Paula and Flori helped us in preparing ornaments for the tree and Christmas cards. On Christmas Eve, Paula and Flori took Paul, Felicia, Gabi, and Elena to Herastrau Park. The little ones enjoyed riding the train and Paul was thrilled to spin the merry-go-round. We bought popcorn, tape records and lots of sweets.

Paul and Dani sang carols with the children in the neighborhood; fearful than the boys Felicia, Elena and Gabi went with Paula.

The Christmas day gone, we started preparations for New Year’s Eve. Paul and Elena went at Paula’s home and partied with boys and girls. It was fun for them and totally different for what they were accustomed. Country life, snow fights, sleighing is much better than an apartment block.

Felicia, Dani and Gabi spent the night with mother and father. It was thrilling for us all to watch the snow falling from the skies and observe the white satin everywhere. We bought TV games and played with the toys. It was so funny... We thank you all! ?



Casa Veronica: winter holidays
Winter holiday… Time to wonder on Bucharest' streets. Don't get any false impression: Veronica (the mother of Veronica House) and Lizette were there to watch us. It was the time to enter sweets shop and eat as much ice cream as we could. We had a companion, Bogdan from Snagov, who came to stay with us for a couple of weeks or so. A valiant knight to guard on us, girls.

We went in Herastrau Park, time for looping on the roller coaster and drive the electric cars. On Christmas Eve in downtown Bucharest we saw the lights of the gigantic tree. Unbelievable… We were thrilled to see Santa performing free climbing on hotels' walls or roofs. Back home, agitated spirits and a lot of delicious scents: food was under way. We ate and party until morning hours. On Christmas day we wandered in backer shops and ate cookies like never.

On New Year's Eve we had a party at home at waited patiently for the Millennium to rise. It was thrilling to see on TV what happened in other countries. This is it, we wait for next year. ?



   

Children from Casa Veronica




Doctor's advice
Ministry of Health Order #665/1999 on HIV antiretroviral therapy
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) will be initiated in the university medical clinics equipped with HIV-RNA load and CD4 count facilities from Brasov, Bucuresti, Constanta, Craiova, Iasi, Timisoara, Tg. Mures, according to the provisions of the HIV Therapy Guidelines edited by the National AIDS of the MoH.

y ART drugs will be prescribed for free, according to the triple therapy combinations, in the HIV/AIDS day-clinics or the closed circuit drugstores of the infectious diseases hospitals or of the infectious diseases wards.



Ministry of Health Order #553/1999 on upgrading allowances
In providing allowances for dangerous and very dangerous working conditions we consider the following categories of staff:



The Order is upgrading Regulation 6.366/1993 on allowances.



Legislation: Special Protection of the Disabled
The rights of the disabled have been completely reformulated into Government Ordnance #102/1999 on special protection of the disabled. According to this document the disabled person is the individual presenting disadvantages as a direct consequence of physical, sensorial, psychic and mental deficiencies that jeopardize or limit normal access to equal social life conditions. Further, the Ordnance is defining the special protection as a set of measures aiming at the full access to right for the disabled, a complex intervention in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, education and social re-insertion of the disabled persons. The medical evaluation committees, according to the norms provided by the Ordnance, enforce special protection measures.

The disabled children benefit from the following provisions:



Sadly, the road ahead is bumpy… The situation of the disabled has become dramatic since the beginning of 2000. According to the Ordnance, the former diagnostics committees in children dissolved in Dec. 1999 and their activities absorbed into the newly established medical evaluation committees; this is not the case because the local councils have not appointed the new committees. The first to be hurt are the children with void disability certificate, and as a direct consequence with no benefits for the personal aid.

Moreover, provisions stated into the old legislation have disappeared into the thin fog: free telephone impulses, free railway tickets, free transport for the personal aid. The payment of the salary for the personal aid is reassuring that confidentiality is kept; the name and address of the disabled person and the personal aid are compulsory required and the social investigation on the disabled person contains a detailed description of family/neighborhood relationships. This provision of the Ordnance tries to prevent fraud and unjustified payments, but is generating major dysfunction. Many of the families caring for an HIV child, a disabled under the provisions of the law, will denounce benefits keeping in mind the of preservation confidentiality. Moreover, the families that have not used the allowances for the welfare of the disabled child will continue to do so without any practical possibilities to change the situation.?



The facts about HIV/AIDS
Source: UNICEF: The State of the World’s Children 2000



Our walls broke
Thousands of protesters tore down to rubble the most evident symbol of divided Europe: the Berlin Wall. Afterwards the volcano erupted: eight countries split into 28, indestructible regimes were swept away in days, and latent economic crisis was triggered. The victims of these transformations are the unknown John Doe, the average decent citizens. The freedom of election and openness of speech go together with competing for a slice of bread or defending the homes, schools and livelihood guns in your hand.

Despite tremendous attention from the media to armed conflicts, the social impact of change, equally violent, got no interest. UNICEF's MONEE Report is focusing on social conditions and public policy affecting children and their families. The Report is bringing into limelight the grim side of the newly found freedom; it is bluntly evident that grass root activism, the civil society and new freedoms cannot be sustained by crumbling economies. "Running on empty" is a concept still widely accepted in Eastern Europe, and this report is further proof of bleak economic and social disparities, discrimination kept under the veil of silence and tensions confirming that the absence of war is not genuine peace.

A serious threat to children welfare is the shrinking slice of the economic cake once earmarked. This is a direct consequence of falling government revenues, high inflation and reluctance by the State to support adequately the system of family support. The consequences are prolonged by the lack of efficiency and equity of access to basic social services moreover the social services fail to develop new skills demanded by an evolving labor market and acute health risks. The essential key to successful child development, good education, is caught defenseless in front of budget cutbacks, poverty, conflicts, and the legacy of rigid approaches to education.

Many of the Eastern European countries in transition are facing a health crisis. The crisis has not affected every country with the same intensity, but its scale can be seen in large numbers of avoidable deaths, the spread of diseases once thought to be under control, increased overall mortality rates and the rise of HIV/AIDS. The number of children in public care has risen with more than 50% after 1989; this figure is contrary to all policy intentions and represents a clear symptom of increasing social stress and of families unable to cope.

The extreme low is Romania, were public attitude and state approach to public care considering institutionalization as the adequate solution; some parents considered open heartedly institutionalization as the right choice in the best interest of their children. The children living in institutions were a forgotten underclass, living in sub-human conditions, deprived of contact with their family, easy targets for cruelty and abuse.

A transition policy with "a human face" is most urgently needed. This is the vital element that will ensure proficiency in social services, equal access to good education and health services, and that as prerequisites of development bolts progress in the region. ?

Source: The MONEE Project - AFTER THE FALL - the impact of ten years of transition.




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