Looking Ahead
CURRENT CHALLENGES
1. THE RAINBOW CENTRE OF HOPE at Buia
Renovations of the centre have been extensive but now the plans include residential accommodation for disabled children there needs to be a new wing at the back adjoining the main building and 3 more cabins in the garden area.
With the commencement of the Table Tennis Championships in winter 2011 the Centre has been well used and with the current plans to extend it will be used in 2012 for visiting work teams.
One such team was Streetspace from Chard – 6 boys and 2 leaders stayed there in August 2012 and renovated a small cabin at the gate of the Centre to prepare it as a pharmacy – which will then be the responsibility of the local doctors. (2014 – it cannot be opened yet as the lease for the site is still not granted to any NGO, which is a blow for the villagers).
The Centre will be used for Development through Education and Training
A resident administrator is needed to run the centre with
- Craft clubs, holiday clubs, residential/respite camps for local children including disabled children
- Work training sessions for local gipsy populations
- English Conversation Club
- Evening Computer training classes
- Traditional Dance lessons
- Youth Club for teenagers
- Family literacy classes with a Library
- Video and film evenings
- Further development of the Centre to be used for residential summer camps for city children and disabled, a Field Study Centre, Residential conferences, etc.
- Guest Chalets in the large garden area for retreats
- An adventure playground to be made in 2015 possibly.
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNE GENERALLY
To be considered by other groups as it is not in the remit of the charity. We can introduce the ideas to others.
Cultivation of organic vegetables. Because Romania has been pesticide free for many years it presents an ideal environment for this. This challenge has already been taken up by one villager in the main village of Seica Mare who has 2 very efficient poly tunnels producing excellent vegetables. He sells them through the above mentioned Eco Society.
Bee Keeping. Traditionally, the community around Seica Mare is known for keeping bees. A few villagers have modern hives and produce large quantities of ‘organically’ sourced honey each year, which can only be marketed locally at very low prices, or sometimes has been fed to livestock through lack of a market. Developing a marketing strategy for honey is of prime importance.
All these new ventures need much careful research and thought as they are new ideas to the majority of the local villagers who exist currently through subsistence farming, and are very poor. However Project Romania realises that to provide employment and self respect to these villagers is more acceptable in the long run than merely giving aid.
3.INDIVIDUAL NEEDS WITHIN THE COMMUNE
These are as many and as varied as the stars of the sky. However children with extreme needs have been helped in the past and we want to be able to help any who come to us in the future.