Newsletter Autumn 2010

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Newsletter Spring 2010

         Dear supporter of  Fundatia New Life,

       As some of you might know already, begining autumn 2009, a new trustee has joined the team due to Hugh’s retirement.

      Even Hannah has been to Romania before and she had contact with romanian orphanages we agreed that she must come to Amara to meet our boys and see the work we do.

      Therefore, in December, Hannah came over to visit the house. We would like to offer her the possibility to tell you her impresion following the visit.

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        My name is Hannah Morrell and I am the newest trustee to Fundatia New Life. I have been looking forwards to writing this newsletter to not only introduce myself to you but to tell you all about my experience at Amara House.

I am a teacher at Christ’s Hospital school and I have previously been to Romania to work on a project in Bradet with the school. This is where I met Tina O’Reilly and learned all about FNL, the boys and the charities need for help. As a result I have been a trustee since September.

       Along with getting to know the fellow trustees I also knew it was hugely important for Marius, the boys and all the of the staff at the house to meet me as well as me meeting them and gaining more of an understanding of how the programme works.

       Tina and I knew that it would be cold in Romania in December, we also knew there were high chances of snow, especially as there had been a few flakes here in England. What we were met with though was a winter wonderland which seemed to have transported us back in time.

  
 
     The cars and buildings of Romania, as we travelled from Bucharest to Slobozia, seem to be from decades ago. Seeing this with the carts still used in Amara you realise that Romania is very much a mixture of technological development and hands on natural hard work.

      When we arrived at the house it was quite late and yet we were met with the  warmest of welcomes literally as Sandu and Fanel had stayed up
to greet us and we entered the house to escape from the snowy conditions. After a tour of the house, which was very open and friendly with lots of Christmas decorations, it was time to rest. The following day it was a great opportunity to meet most of the other boys Gabi, Vali, Emil and Marius. We spent time making decorations, putting puzzles together laughing and taking photos.

     Later we were joined by Sandu and Fanel who had been doing their
chores and brought in some of the new puppies (just a few of the animals that they care for). The first thing you notice about all the boys is not their disabilities it is how happy they are and how much love they have to give, bashful at times but when given care and attention you can’t help but be magnetised to them, to join them and help them. They would put a smile on anyone’s face!

    One of the other important things that Tina and I wanted to do was to visit
the apartments where some of the older boys live in Slobozia, as well as Adrian’s flat. It was very worthwhile meeting one or two of the boys, seeing the flats and witnessing how proud they are of their possessions. Along with the other boys, Adrian is incredibly proud with where he lives and has worked very hard on the premises, including saving for, buying and building his own cabinets. When you meet Adrian you really get the sense of what a success FNL can be, and just how much of difference it can make to someone’s life. I felt genuinely honoured to be shown his home.

After all the visits, playing, snowball fights, Christmas festivities and animals it was time to think about travelling back to England, the worry was whether we would be able to get to the airport and would our flight be able to take off? Well after a nerve wrecking journey and wait we were very lucky indeed and got back to England on time. I do feel that I have left a part of me in Romania and I look forward to my next visit. Amara house is a special place, full of special people and giving. It was very worthwhile to see how much of an impact the staff has made on the lives of the boys and I hope they can continue to be happy with the help of the charity.

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     Like all the other visitors that came at the house, Hannah had a great time with our boys. She already misses them and she promised to do her best as a trustee so the charity can continue to support our work.

            For a printable pdf version of the newsletter click here

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Newsletter Autumn 2009

         Dear supporter of Fundatia New Life,

        As we have promised last year, in order for you to get a clearer picture of how our work is going in Romania all the Newsletters will be produced by the Romanian side of our charity. You have already met some members of the staff at the house and, in time, you will get to meet all of them.

        For this newsletter, as we had a special guest at the house for the summer, we would like to offer him the opportunity to tell you his impresion of the house and what he thinks about our work. Therefore, let me introduce to you Ben Forrest, an English student:

      
  Hi!  My name is Ben Forrest.  I am a 19 year old student, and I am just starting a degree in Physics and Mathematics  at  Durham  University  after  a year out from education.  I found out about Fundatia New Life through  my  mother,  who  works  at  a  school with a trustee for the charity, Shirley Kirby. 

       After  becoming  interested  in  the charity and the great work it seemed to do, the opportunity came up to go over to The  Amara  House over the summer.  I had never  worked  with children  having special needs before,  so  it  was  a completely new experience to me and I thought it would be a great experience.  Being a similar age to the boys, I felt I had something to offer and hopefully they would enjoy me spending time with them.  I had a great 6 weeks there, and it became the highlight of my gap-year by a mile!

       I was excited about going, but also very nervous as it was my first time away from home for that length of time.  However, the kindness and welcoming nature of both the staff and the boys made me feel at home from the start.  I was met at the airport by Marius, along with Fanel and Sandu.

     I remember realising just what nice guys they were and they were really polite and well-mannered, something that is hard to find in many young people these days.

     As we drove through the village of Amara for the first time, I realised how poor it was and really didn’t know what to expect from the house.          

   
However I was really surprised   how clean and homely  it  was.   When  I arrived, I  met Codreanu, Marius,  Gabi,  Vali  and Emil.  Although I had seen a video and some pictures of the boys, I was surprisedby the severity of theirspecial needs. 

   
   In particular Emil, whose condition had deteriorated since the video was produced.    

     They were really welcoming and the house seemed to have a great family atmosphere. After being given a thorough tour of the house by Sandu and Fanel, the three of us spent the rest of the evening playing football with children from the village. 

     Spending time with the children in the village was something I did a lot during my time there, and I enjoyed it very much.  I guess they seemed to like having someone who could give them some time and attention, and share a pretty similar mental age most of the time to be honest.  They were great kids and you can see the boys love having them around.

      
I know people were a bit surprised that I didn’t spend more time in the nearby town of Slobozia, which was more lively than Amara.  However, I enjoyed it at the house. 

      I was amazed at how much work the staff put into caring for the boys.  I think they do a fantastic job; they really care about them and treat them just like their own children which makes the house seem like a big family.  I know they also worked hard to make me feel welcome the all the time and I was very grateful, they did a great job.

     I didn’t speak any Romanian before I went, but communication with the staff and the boys was easier than I expected.  My attempts at the language were pretty awful to be honest, but they were patient and we always got there in the end.

  I learnt after a few days that as long as you hold a football in your hand, communicating with Sandu is not a problem!

     The trip has opened my eyes to another world and I really hope that the charity can continue to support the great work that goes on at the house.  The boys lead a very happy life and I hope that can continue.  It was a privilege to be there and any help I could offer the charity in the future would be a pleasure. 

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    So, dear supporters, you can see that Ben had a great time with us!  We really appreciated his visit and, as he said, we all hope that the charity can continue to support this vital work which gives our boys the opportunity to live rewarding lives and to mix with the local community.

Our very best wishes go to you all and sincere thanks for all you do.....

                                                                                       Marius

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Newsletter Spring 2009

Dear Supporter,

        My  name  is  Lucretia Miritescu and I work for Fundatia New Life since the opening of the Amara House in February 2003. I was introduced to our 7 boys while they were still living in Placement Centre No. 5.  At first I was afraid of them because I had no experience of children with special needs. Even the children that I had seen on the streets of Slobozia were not so disabled and helpless.

        Since the first day I met them, I tried to do something for them. I was suprised to see what a mess their room was in, with clothes all over the place!  I started by putting  everything  in order.

      As the time passed, I tried to get closer to them, to understand them. I would walk them to the town.

     The house opened on the 24th of February, 2003 and the boys moved in. The new house became their home and the staff became their family. Their first family!

       I find pleasure in making sure the boys have a healthy diet, I cook for them and help serve their meals. After my fear disappeared, I was  determined to stay and work with them.

       While working with the boys and trying entertain them, I have discovered a  gift that I never knew I had. I really enjoy making crafts and different hand-made objects. Things and materials that might look rubbish and useless to other people, I collect and use during our occupational therapy. We use all kind of materials such as beans, coffee, pasta, leaves, rice, dried flowers and vegetables.

        Together, we are able to make different objects  that the boys will proudly give to our visitors. They are very happy when they can offer something that was made with their contribution. This way, they feel useful and appreciated by other people.

       Another activity that we enjoy doing together is working in the garden, taking care of the flowers and our large vegetable patch. Everytime we work together whether it’s inside the house or in the garden, whether we do small things or big jobs together, I make sure I tell them what a wonderful job they have done.

      A big joy for the boys is to go for a walk around Amara, to the park,  the lake or to go on longer trips with our recently purchased minibus. They especially enjoy our trips to the Zoo in Calarasi and the Village Museum in Bucharest.

        A special moment was our visit to the church in Slobozia. Even though people were staring at us, it was great just to be in the presence of God.  

       Supported living

       For 2 years I have been in charge, alongside Marius Istrate, of the 3 apartments, which Fundatia New Life owns in Slobozia. If he is more of a father to them, then I am the mother. Marius offers them counseling in finding and keeping a job and makes sure they pay towards their living expenses and I am teaching them how to cook and keep the place clean.

    After so many years of working with Fundatia New Life I honestly say that for me it is a privilege to be part of a great team and I hope to retire from Fundatia ( in about 10 years from now) and even after to continue working for Fundatia as a volunteer.

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 Newsletter Autumn 2008

Dear Supporter,

       My  name  is  Marius Istrate and I run the romanian side of Fundatia  New  Life.  For me it is the first time to write a letter to you.

       I start working with orphans in Romania in 1994.  For many years I have been visiting the Special School  in Slobozia and I have tried to  help as  much  as I could, as  an individual.  Many  years  later,  in  2002,  with  the  help of a special friend from England and the support of a few teachers from the Special School, as my activity was growing, we set up the charity with the hope of a bigger impact in the live of those in needs. Since then, they became a very important part of my life. Even we had some difficult times, I am very proud to say that with our support many of the young boys from the orphanages, who had no chance in life, are now married and they live a life on their own.                                                                                                               

The Amara House  

goes well. The extension is done  and now we have plenty ofspace for activities with volunteers from the local Art High School.  It is very encouraging to see that  young students are willing to volunteer. We have  a difficult time  when  so  many  wants  to come  to  spend  time  with  our boys. The last time we had over 20 volunteers coming and other  20 had  to remain home waiting for the next visit.

The activity is part of a bigger project through witch we have applied for a grant from the County Council that will enable us to furnish the extension. Our application was accepted and in the next  couple of weeks we shall be able to purchase the furniture. For me, it is great to see that the local authorities are slowly trying to support charities. It will be the first time  when we receive money from them and I hope it is only the beginning.

    120 hp instead of 1 horse and cart

      Writing the news letter gives me a great opportunity to say a big „Thank You” in the name of our boys to all of you who give money for the purchase of the minibus. With the sum that was raised we were able to buy a second hand Opel Vivaro, made in 2006,  with 9 seats. It is just perfect for our needs. Since we have it we were able to do many trips arownd Amara and not only.

    Having the minibus, gives us the possibility to visit our friends from Braila more often than before. Weather before I use to visit them on my own, now I have the chance to take everyone from Amara with me.

        As we get there, first we go to see our friends then we have a lunch together. After that, we all go shopping for the house. Everyone enjoys it so much even it is not always easy as people are still steering when they see us.  But, we don’t care! They better get use to us!

       Suported living

       At present we have 6 boys living in 2 of our flats. Another flat has been closed recently due to boys leaving for an independent life. The plan with this flat is to apply for a grant that will enable us to do all the necessary repairs and to refurnish it so we could have 4 new boys coming in the summer when a new class will graduate at the Special School.

     I am grateful for the chance that was given to write this news letter so I could thank each one of you for supporting Fundatia New Life and our projects in Romania.