After 25 years of interventions in support of the most vulnerable children, we are launching the manifesto campaign #WhomNotWhat! Because every child needs SOMEONE, not just SOMETHING, to catch wings. And for that, it is necessary that, together, we close the last orphanages in Romania and be the ones who change the future of children without parents.
The most beautiful swing
The campaign is centered on a unique work of art, created by the Italian-born architect Federica Sala, and built by us in Romania . A swing in the figure of the Mother: a metaphor of love and hope that no child will ever live the nightmare of institutionalization. A symbol of the boundless love that a parent has for a child, it also draws attention to what a child in an orphanage lacks the most: the love, attention, care and warmth of a family.
Come and see the artwork!
Come Saturday, October 7, 2023, between 10:00-19:00, in the Youth Park! With the support of PMB, through ALPAB, we will place the most beautiful outdoor swing, where we await you with workshops and activities for the whole family.
Among the activities are creative workshops supported by the puppet artist Ana Crăciun-Lambru and a flashmob of the dance school Cobo Dance Center, founded by Cocuța and Bogdan Boantă. The children from the dance school will convey the message of the campaign through a moment choreographed by Vivienne Szentyobbi.
Children have the right to grow up away from trauma, pain and loneliness
“In order for institutionalized children to be able to gain momentum for life, we all need to be SOMEBODY for them. And to contribute to closing the last orphanages in Romania. There are 77 such institutions, with around 2,000 children who have the right to grow up away from trauma, pain and loneliness”, says Robert Ion, General Director of Hope and Homes for Children Romania.
What we have done in 25 years
In total, in 25 years of interventions, we have supported more than 41,500 children to stay safely with their parents or extended family and not be institutionalized, through the Prevention of Child Separation from the Family program. From 1998 until now, we have contributed to the closure of 68 foster care centers, and through our efforts and those of our partners, 123 family homes have been developed, with more than 7,200 children removed from orphanages and 1,900 reintegrated into their natural or extended family. You can find out more about our activity on the page dedicated to our annual annual reports.