Annual Report TON Foundation - 2019

2019 | ANNUAL REPORT

www.TheOpenNetwork.ro | www.facebook.com/TheOpenNetwork

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TABLE OF CONTENT 2019 | ANNUAL REPORT THE OPEN NETWORK FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Page Messages for the Network

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Changing of the guard at the Belgian Embassy in Bucharest

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Word from our Executive Director

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About us

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Network structures

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TON Trainings and Projects

10-21

TON International Events

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Members’ activities

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TON Activities Calendar for 2020

34-35

Sponsors and Funders

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Resources

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Membership

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Fundraising

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How we work

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Messages for the Network

Jozef Goebels, President of The Open Network for Community Development and ADR-Vlaanderen

In 2019, we were as well co-organizers of the Belgian Week in Iasi and the 7th Forum on Decentralized cooperation Belgium-Romania in Timișoara.

Events that brought us in contact with different new NGO’s, public services, companies, officials, administrations but most important with interesting and dedicated people. New ideas and proposals came up, as well as concept notes for the future were produced and need a follow up in 2020.

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ear TON members and sympathizers, Historical, 2019 meant already 30 years after the revolution in Romania. We also celebrated 30 years of ADR-Vlaanderen. Time flies and we all get older, but interesting that the Belgian-Romanian collaboration set up 30 years ago is still alive and kicking, still growing in Belgium, but surely in Romania.

TON is an important partner in this bilateral collaboration between Belgium and Romania, working bottom-up.

In this annual report 2019, you will find a good overview of the different actions and activities done the past year. Also, the fact ambassadors were changed in Belgium and Romania and were we strongly hope and believe in a further close, open and supportive collaboration.

The expansion and broadening of the network that has been established over the past 30 years are going on. A new interesting group being the Romanian expats in Belgium. More than 100.000 Romanians that lives in Belgium and their self-organizations are for ADRVlaanderen a new an interesting partner to set up actions and projects in Romania in collaboration with TON. It’s a matter of creating awareness, give insights and jointly searching for solutions at the benefit of the citizens.

Still with pride to be the president of such a nice and inspiring network. With many thanks to all enthusiastic collaborators and believers in Belgium and Romania, but also in other countries where we work with.

Let’s further work on the different challenges and show the way to go, learning from each other in an inspiring model of collaboration.

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H.E. Philippe Benoit, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Romania

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019 marked a special year both for the Belgian-Romanian relations and for myself. 30 years after the fall of communism, we looked back in Timișoara at the long history of decentralized cooperation between both our countries. For myself personally, it was the first trip out of Bucharest since I took up my mandate in Romania.

The Forum of Decentralized Cooperation was an opportunity for me to get an overview of the strong ties between Romanian and Belgian citizens, communities and organizations. TONs work is part of this authentic example of people-to-people diplomacy.

While Romania went from communism to a country integrated in the European Union and NATO, the connections between citizens, local communities and entrepreneurs only got stronger and more diverse over the years.

I would like to express my sincere hope that we will continue on this path. You can count on the support of the Belgian Embassy in Romania to further unleash the potential of people-to-people diplomacy.

What stroke me most in Timișoara is the following: 30 years after the Romanian revolution, you are still here, building further on the foundations laid during a turbulent phase in Romania’s recent history.

H.E. Andreea Păstârnac, Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Belgium

Decentralized Cooperation Belgium-Romania in Timișoara and was present at different activities organized by ADR in Flanders.

We wish her a very active and exciting mission in Belgium and for sure we will collaborate where possible and needed in order to work further on the missions of ADR and TON, even after 30 years of wonderful and important activities and projects.

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omania also appointed a new ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium half of 2019. H.E. Andreea Păstârnac immediately invited us in the embassy for a talk on the activities of ADR-Vlaanderen and TON Foundation.

She supported the organization of the 7th Forum on

Jozef Goebels, President of ADR-Vlaanderen and The Open Network for Community Development Foundation

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Changing of the guard at the Belgian Embassy in Bucharest

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eginning of September 2019, after 4 years in function, H.E. Thomas Baekelandt left the post of Belgian Ambassador in Romania. He was succeeded by H.E. Philippe Benoit as new ambassador for Belgium in Romania.

The Open Network for Community Development Foundation (TON) wants to thank H.E. Thomas Baekelandt for the trust, nice and friendly cooperation and promotion of TON and for the hospitality for different events and stays. Together with his spouse, Mrs. Ilse Luyten, he was present at different activities, meetings and organizations of TON.

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We wish both a further successful continuation of their life as well professional as social.

In the meanwhile we had the occasion to build up a new relation with the new Ambassador, H.E. Philippe Benoit and hope to have him on our side for the coming 4 years.

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Sincerely, Jozef Goebels, President of The Open Network for Community Development Foundation

Cristina Victoria Cherț, Executive Director The Open Network for Community Development

About us

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‘If you want to thrive for a year, then grow cereals. If you want to thrive for ten years, plant trees. If you want to prosper an eternity, grow people.’

We bring together in a national network both: Romanian NGOs and informal groups established at local, regional or national level.

Although different, all these structures have in common their establishment as a result of a Romanian-Belgian partnership and/or their orientation towards local community’s needs.

he year 2019 was a ‘norming’ year for the TON Foundation. A year in which the activities took place in the natural order of mobilizing volunteers from local groups and organizations (spring training; local activities). A year in which the RomanianBelgian collaboration developed projects at national level (AGLT - TON Day; Belgian Week; the 7th Forum in Timișoara; the TONNE event, the bike tours initiated by ADRVlaanderen) and internationally (the REInVEST project; REGAL Project and SOS Fire! project).

he Foundation was born in April 2012 from a big desire to ensure the visibility, synergy and sustainability of the RomanianBelgian partnerships in the field of community development (active since 1989), as well as to develop the network through collaboration and experience exchanges with other national and/or international organizations focused on community development in a broad context.

We are a Network of people for people and for Romanian communities, a non-profit organisation established by Romanian and Belgium partners.

In 2019, TON also continued to grow people, relationships, and communities.

2020 will be a year full of new projects, new discoveries and new challenges.

We thank all volunteers for their involvement in TON. We thank all the members of the Board of Directories for their involvement.

We thank stakeholders at national and international level who provide TON with credibility and visibility in actions. We thank coordinators and managers of the local organizations for all support offered, we thank strategic institutional partners who make it possible to have in 2019-TON, in a holistic context (from grass-roots projects to the level of policy makers in areas of interest).

Each member organisation/informal group has its own agenda (it’s recommended an annual plan of activities) and organises at least an activity per month (Fundraising for various activities in the community; Social Campaigns/Charities; Projects and contests; Information sessions/Personal development/ Workshops and events; Exchange of experiences/Excursions).

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Local Women Organisation (OLF) is an informal or formal group (association) of women from a community that implements activities leading to personal development of members and/or the development of the community. At national level, we have 22 OLF member groups.

Network structures

their community, receiving support from the TON Foundation for models of social organization in different areas of development, such as: community development, health (CLS, ADAM), tourism (social), development of civil society (OLF, OLB and OLT), education programs (workshops, training, entrepreneurship) etc..

14 such structures are members of the TON Network.

Local Men Organisation (OLB) is an informal or formal group (association) of men from a community that implements activities leading to personal development of members and/or the development of the community. At national level, we have 14 OLB member groups.

Local Youth Organisation (OLT) is an informal or formal group (association) of youth that is encouraged by adults from the same community from school, to meet and to organize activities for the local community and for the personal development of each participant. It is recommended that each group have an adult of support. OLTs are parts (or not) of one of the two umbrellas members in TON: Local Youth Groups Association - AGLT (37 groups) and Together Everyone Achieves More Association - TEAM (31 groups). These umbrellas are national organizations.

Local Development Committee (CDL) is a group of citizens who, through their common work (in a group or in an informal association) aim to develop a sustainable community.

Each CDL develops its own logo and functions as an independent body within TON Foundation. In a CDL can be involved anyone from the community who wants to invest time, energy and expertise to contribute to her/his community sustainable development.

A CLD can develop a variety of activities taking into account the priorities and needs of

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Local Health Committee (CLS) is a formal or an informal group constituted by Community representatives’ persons, which primarily aims to increase the health level of the community members through integrated actions (punctual local initiatives to change health policies).

CLS is a multidisciplinary working group but does not develop any medical activity. When a CLS is authorized to develop medical action, turns his statute into an ADAM. There are 4 such structures in The Open Network.

The Mutual Help Association (ADAM) is a nonprofit organization that provides medical and social services at community level, based on the identified needs of its members.

Each ADAM has a very strong structure (associative), enhanced by the development of OLF, OLB and OLT and the implementation of sociomedical activities. The most important concepts that are developed in an ADAM are: medical and social services of high quality; services affordable for community members; solidarity; mutual respect and volunteering. At this point, we count 3 members of the ADAM in The Open Network.

TON TRAINING AND PROJECTS

TONNE - TON National Event

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s every year since 2012, at each end of July in the last weekend, we meet the entire TON network to celebrate our activity and the establishment of The Open Network for Community Development Foundation - a Romanian-Belgian initiative.

The annual event TON (TONNE) was held in 2019 in Moldovița, Suceava County between July 26th-28th and had as the theme of the meeting the accomplishment of a joint development strategies of the TON opened with a first step in work: awareness of the activity phase in which is the TON right now.

Over 70 volunteers, local coordinators, managers of organizations, national trainers met in Moldovița and exchanged ideas, presented their activities over the year, the plans for the future being representatives of their communities, their local action groups.

Under the coordination of the young national trainer Laura Bîrhală, we managed to raise awareness of what we have done in these 7 years since the establishment, to see what stage we are in at this moment and to create thoughts for the future.

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Some lines from the Report of the trainer Laura Bîrhală: ‘If I would have to choose some

Technological High School from Moldovița and ADAM Moldovița. The local managers and coordinators, Dana and Dan Ceredeev, Mihaela Hiche organized (as every time) an exceptional event.

descriptors to describe TON that would be: • The network with warmhearted nationally connected people • Tolerance for diversity • Human potential for strong micro-communities I think there is a mix of motivation in joining and participating in the network: • receiving support, • some need for personal recognition, • the feeling of doing something special and giving it to communities.

I think the things are really dynamic inside local communities, as people find reasoning and dreams to work for.’

We cannot miss the joyous moment organized by the women of the OLFs, a fashion presentation

accompanied by poetry and floral ornaments. It was a unique moment for all participants and the involvement of the women from the OLFs was a pleasant surprise for the participants.

There were two days full of activities, discoveries, relationships, memories and plans.

The event was organized with the financial support of ADRVlaanderen and we thank with this article to all the Belgian partners who have consumed financial resources and time, to be with TON at TONNE in 2019.

We were coordinated in the organization by our local partners: Asociația Proiect Pro Europa, Vasile Cocea

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Solidarity Campaign in TON

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n 2019 we were blue (empathetic, daring, optimistic). The Open Network supported a sympathetic, smart, friendly teenager and volunteer in the „Golden Star” Youth Movement from Moldovița. He is dreaming of wearing a blue cop uniform, but the lack of material possibilities makes his dream a hard fight. It is not a fault to have no material possibilities but is a fault not to fight and not to work for your dream and a better future.

The year 2019 was a Solidarity Year between the members of The Open Network Foundation. Being inspired by our members at the National Training (2015) held in Dumitrești, Vrancea County, we wanted to create a permanent (long-lasting) real context to support organisations/small informal groups working at grassroots, but also organizations with more experience.

Then, each participant contributed with the sum of 2 euro for the realization of a dream proposed by a member. Following the vote, the prize went to CLS Tăut for a child from the community for making a medical file, necessary for the analysis of a possibility of treatment for the child’s recovery in Germany.

The contest was an exciting experience, and everybody considered this ‘Tombola of Dreams’ was an experience that should be repeated.

That mini-project, the spontaneity and commitment of our members inspired us to

realize in 2019 a real project entitled ‘Solidarity Campaign in TON’.

We intend to transform the future further, and in 2020, we are taking another step towards accomplishing the dreams of our members.

What exactly is this Campaign, you will ask us?

Solidarity Campaign in TON is a case-tracking campaign (individual or institutional) at the community level from the members of The Open Network Foundation, followed by a fundraising campaign to solve the first case identified in each of the following categories: - Solidarity and Education; - Solidarity and Health; - Solidarity and Volunteering.

The aim is to make a national and international awareness of a personal or institutional situation for which - we, members of TON Foundation and not only, through solidarity, can raise funds for a possible solution.

The TON Solidarity Campaign had a stage of judging performed by prominent people of the Romanian-Belgian relationship. We take this occasion to thank them for the honour they have given us, to voluntarily judge and promote the cases identified by TON members.

Due to the technical changes that occurred with the entry into force of the GDPR legislation, the process of raising funds within the framework of the Solidarity Campaign was interrupted, following to continue during February-July 2020 for the case presented by ADAM Slatina-Timiș and August-December 2020 for the case presented by Asociația “Împreună schimbăm Hodora - CLD”.

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Spring trainings

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very year, in the spring, we encourage the regional trainings development in each region of the country. In 2019, we proposed as theme 'Fire prevention' (trainings organized in collaboration with the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations - ISU).

representative Bucovina Suceava (Câmpulung Moldovenesc fire department), moderated the training.

On this occasion, we learned about the national platform for preparing the population

So, under the motto: 'The fire is like a small child. He must be supervised!' on 30.05.2019, the regional training on fire prevention took place at ADAM Moldovița. ADAM Moldovița volunteers, young people from the Local Youth Group, teachers and caregivers from elderly homecare service, attended the activity.

for emergencies, www.fiipregatit.ro. The platform was launched in 2018 by the Department of Emergency Situations and it will help citizens better understand the risks and it will inform them about the preventive measures and the behaviour they have to have in different big magnitude emergencies or disaster.

From the City Hall of Moldovița Commune, Mr. Balabașciuc Mugurel was attended the activity. He is the volunteer’s fire team head in the in the community and he provided important information about the firefighters locally activity.

After the theoretical session, the activity continued with a practical training on how to perform the emergency evacuation and how to use a fire extinguisher.

Mrs. Mihaela Hiche, TON trainer and Deputy Chief Sergeant Mr. Piticari Traian, ISU

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SOS Fire! Project

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n a statistical analysis carried out by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations - IGSU shows that, on average, in Romania, daily, 12 homes are affected by fires, from which 1 person falls as victim. From 12 fires, 5 occur in the attic and 3 in the kitchen.

Annually, 41 children under 6 years of age fall prey to fires, due to the negligence of the parents, without being able to save themselves. 27% of the victims of house fires are persons over 70 years. (IGSU source)

The international team of the project officially launched the activities in Belgium, at the first transnational meeting that took place on November 25th-26th, 2019.

The five partners in the project are: Fondation des Brûlés / Stichting Brandwonden (Belgium) - Project coordinator; The Open Network for Community Development Foundation (Romania); Sdruzenije Na Na Raboteshtite S Hora S Uvrezhdaniya (Bulgaria); Polytechnic Institute of Setubal (Portugal); Actie Dorpen Roemenië - Vlaanderen vzw (Belgium).

For a period of 24 months (01.10.2019 31.09.2021) this project aims to create awareness among European school children about the risks caused by fire, its prevention and the most important measures to put in place in case of emergency and fire.

Children are one of the most vulnerable target groups, especially children from disadvantaged backgrounds (Roma, immigrants, socio-economic problems etc.).

In October 2019, TON Foundation started the activities within the project ‘SOS Fire!

European training course for students in the field of prevention and first aid through civic involvement’, a project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, Key Action 2, K202 - Strategic Partnerships for school education (project number: 2019-1BE02-KA201- 060 345).

Through this project, the partners will develop and implement an European training course for school children and for their teachers that will run in the context of a ‘SOS Fire! Campaign’ week that will be organised in each participating European school.

More info on the project website: www.sosfiretraining.eu/elearning or visit the Facebook Page of the project: www.facebook.com/SOSfiretraining.

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RE-InVEST Project

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E-InVEST (Rebuilding an inclusive, value -based Europe of solidarity and trust through social investments) was a project developed in 4 years (2015-2019) under Horizon 2020 European Commission Programme.

Build it-up as a participatory action-research (funded by Horizon 2020) on social investment; in various policy areas for a more inclusive Europe, this project was the first one in which TON was being part of a research team together with prestigious Universities and representatives’ institutions from NGOs field.

Partners as: KU Leuven; the University of Geneva; the University of Hamburg and IFZ Salzburg; the University of Amsterdam; Observatoire Social Européen; Maynooth University; TU Delft; the Erasmus University Rotterdam; EAPN-Portugal were only some of the institutions involved into this project including into work their experts, expertise, knowledge and international networks.

For our Foundation TON, this project was a first step into the social-investment research academic field, establishing a base for the future projects that were applied: SPEAC-up (applied in 2019 - in course of evaluation); REGAL project (applied in 2019) - in course of implementation for 18th months; Migration project - in course writing the application (December 2019 - February 2020).

After we finish RE-InVEST project, we can be proud of being authors of research documents realised in Work Packet 3 and Work Packet 6 of the project, Intellectual outputs that can be found on our website:  ‘Towards inclusive service delivery through social investment in Romania – an analyse of five sectors, with a particular focus on ECEC in Roma Communities’  ‘Impact of the crisis on Romanian migrants’ On March 28th-29th, 2019, KU Leuven-the project coordinator institution was organizing in Leuven the project final conference that was an opportunity for dialogue on issues between researchers, policy makers, public and social services, and civil society. The highlevel Conference start with an opening address by the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Mrs Marianne Thyssen, and from conference topics we can remember here: Social investment and the European Pillar of Social Rights; Social (dis) investment and human rights during the crisis; Social investment in service markets - the role of the EU; Participatory action research with vulnerable groups – a human rights and capabilities approach; Fostering a social investment climate: macro-economic and political conditions.

More info on the project website: www.reinvest.eu.

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REGAL Project

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EGAL - ‘Regaining life for precarious women at work’ project aims to link the Directive on the Work Life Balance Package with the provision in the EPSR stating that equal opportunities of under-represented groups shall be fostered.

REGAL will go beyond the general nature of the package and tries to identify the vacuums for underrepresented groups in the current legislation and will propose solutions and seek indirectly to reduce the number of poor working women. Our NGO-partnership is based on a common expertise and practice on working with vulnerable people in close collaboration with trade unions, employers and policy makers. This practice assures a broad benefit from the project, not only for the 60 directly involved women in the project but for all relevant stakeholders in 5 EU countries.

overcome the barriers on work-life balance and discriminatory work practices.

Activities will entail: competence enhancement of these women through ‘rights enabling, storytelling; participatory sessions in order to inventory problems, aspirations and concrete solutions leading to a free access toolkit; awareness raising through EU and national social media awareness campaigns; EU and 5 national stakeholders’ meetings.

These activities will lead to 18 deliverables such as a large European website, 5 national Facebook pages, 5 national stakeholder-conferences, 5 books, EUsynthesis report, methodological toolkit.

REGAL should result in a better enforcement of the equal opportunities of underrepresented groups, a decrease of vulnerable work-life conditions for vulnerable women and a better awareness of the rights by the 3 target groups: vulnerable women, employers/trade unions/civil society and policy makers.

This translates into the following specific objectives: ‘rights enabling’ and empowerment of vulnerable women through participatory methods; awareness-raising for 3 target groups: policymakers and civil society, employers and vulnerable female employees; evoke and disseminate concrete solutions created by vulnerable women in order to

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Partners into REGAL project near TON are: BEWEGING vzw (Belgium-coordinator); GROUPE DE RECHERCHE ET DE REALISATIONS POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT RURAL (France); Focus Ireland Ltd (Ireland) and REDE EUROPEIA ANTI POBREZA PORTUGAL ASSOCIACAO (Portugal).

TON resource local manager in ADAM Moldovița - Mihaela Hiche coordinates the local Focus Groups with women and the story telling method grew-up the ‘Ladies from Moldovița Life Stories’.

After we end the project in 2021, we expect to have results at three different levels: Micro level: The project aims to enhance the competence of vulnerable women through the participatory approach and the training. The project aims also raising the empowerment of vulnerable women. The knowledge of their rights and the inventory of concrete solutions give the feasible answers to their concrete situation.

Expected results for vulnerable young women: enabling rights knowledge, empowered professional situation, removal of discriminatory practices they experience.

Medium level: Thanks to the awareness raising campaign other relevant

stakeholders can profit of our twofold fitted approach and create thus a multiplier effect.

By focussing on a multilevel hindrance’s solution path, other actors confronted with similar multilevel hindrances can profit of both our methodology and our proposed solutions. These solutions will enable a better information and rights exercising of workers, stakeholders and employers working with vulnerable women.

Expected results for stakeholders working with vulnerable young women: improved know how and fitted approach to engage and collaborate with vulnerable young women.

Decrease in discriminatory practices towards vulnerable young women thanks to a better common understanding.

Macro level: The project aims on the more general level awareness raising for policy makers and employers for a more specific policy regarding the manifold hindrances that pregnant vulnerable women or vulnerable young mothers face.

Expected results: cross-sectional optimized enforcement of EU-law on work-life balance and working poor.

More info on the project website: www.regalproject.eu or visit the Facebook Page of the project: www.facebook.com/ proiectulregalinromania.

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AGLT - TON DAY 2019

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fter TONNE meeting in 2018 from SlatinaTimiș, Asociația Grupurilor Locale de Tineret (Local Youth Groups Association) AGLT made us a proposal to share to the network its wonderful experience,

accumulated in 13 editions of the Common Action Day - ZCA. Thus, in 2019 the young volunteers proposed us – to TON – that starting with this year to celebrate together, the first edition of AGLT - TON DAY, a day specially designed to do the same activity, with the same program, at the same time throughout the Network.

As they are well trained in education through play and playing, they thought that in 2019 we would learn more about our health with the occasion of the International Health Day (April 7th).

Therefore, they challenged the entire TON Network to work on hygiene, nutrition, sports and any other subject that leads to a healthier lifestyle - alongside with TONi - the character in the TON DAY story.

Together with TONi, the participants in the joint activity learned that a healthy life means keeping hygiene to prevent the spread of germs and viruses, information about healthy eating, that it is very important to have a good physical condition and it is very healthy to make daily enough movement, that a healthy brain is kept reading and accumulating as much information as possible.

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Their proposal was the following:  if there is a Grup Local de Tineret (Local Youth Group) - GLT and any other TON structure (OLF, OLB, CDL, CLS, ADAM) in the locality, to meet on April 6th or 7th and follow the instructions in the program established so that adults can bring as much information as possible to the children about the topics covered in the story;  if in the locality there are only OLF, OLB, CDL, CLS, ADAM, during a meeting with the members of the organization and the locals, to plant together some plant seeds in a plastic bottle/glass brought by each person for a richer air in oxygen. In addition, it was recommended to invite a doctor (dentist, nutritionist etc.) to hold a debate on maintaining health, to bring benefit to the activity;  if there is only one GLT in the locality, volunteers have been advised to meet and outline the proposed program, and as far as possible an adult (parent, teacher, doctor) should be included in the program, who will bring as much information as possible to the children about one of the topics covered in the story.

Because our health also depends on the environment, on the quality of the air we

breathe, one of the conditions of participation was that each participant came with a plastic bottle, full of soil, in which different seeds were planted, to show that it is within our power to keep the air as clean as possible.

We are glad to share the fruits of the work of the 100 AGLT volunteers who organized this

activity and to count at the end of the activity:  453 participants;  15 activities carried out in the TON Network;  13 localities where TON Day took place (Berbești, Constanța, Botoșani, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Codăești, Dumitrești, Giurcari, Fălticeni, Hodora, Iași, Poienița, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Văliug);  along with the GLTs, they were involved in the activity: ADSEL Dumitrești, OLF Giurcari, OLB Poienița and OLF Poienița.

Thank you for your involvement and we hope to have your support in the future, to make AGLT - TON DAY a network tradition! See you next year! For more information and photos from the event, we invite you to visit the AGLT Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ AGLT.ORG.

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Cycling for Homecare Project

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lso in 2019, ADR-Tourism promoted biking in Romania.

In June, we had again 14 participants and 3 guides for the Banat-biking tour. With six participants from the city of Geel, partner of Slatina-Timiș, and for the first time 2 participants from the Netherlands! The start of a new tradition?

We started at the ‘primăria’ in Slatina-Timiș where the mayor gave the starting signal!

In September, we organized for the first time the Maramureș tour, starting near to Cluj, via Apuseni, Maramureș and Bicaz to finish in Praid. For this tour, we had 17 participants and 3 guides. Most of these participants already participated in the Banat tour in the past!

During this tour, we visited in Beiuș the company Racetex that produced our outfit, and SAMDAM, producer of gift items in Baia Mare.

We visited Cehu Silvaniei and Crucea, partners of Dilbeek and Zoersel. In Beiuș, Cehu

Silvaniei and Baia Mare we supported the homecare activities of TON Foundation.

For 2020, we promoted again these tours. In June, we will cycle again the Banat tour. In September, we will cycle two times the Maramureș tours. At least 45 persons will participate!

The bike tours are supported by

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ADR-Hiking 2019

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DR-Tourism wants to promote also hiking in Romania. Nature and mountains are beautiful to discover in the period of May – September.

In September 2019, ADR-Tourism prepared a hiking tour of 6 days for a group of 5 friends and relatives who love to hike yearly in a European country. For the first time, they wanted to come to Romania. Sleeping in pensions and lodges they discovered that this

was ‘the best ever’ experience in their ‘hiking history’. In the woods in the valleys near to Poiana Ruscă they spotted bears with support of the rangers, in six days of walking they didn’t meet any other tourists, marvellous views after every mountaintop, forests, fields and open heathland alternated, lunch break with freshly picked grapes, apples and plums near Borlova, …!

The experiences of this group will be shared in a magazine ‘Op Weg’ specialized in walking and biking over long distances. ADRvolunteers active in ADR-Tourism will promote walking in Romania at several holiday fairs in Flanders. For sure in 2020, several groups will discover Romania as a walking paradise!

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TON INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

30 Years of ADR-Flanders: exhibition and theatre play

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n 2019 we celebrated 30 years since ADRFlanders was born. Therefore ADRFlanders made an exhibition and organizes a theatre play.

Exhibition: 30 years of solidarity, cooperation, friendship and multiculturalism 15 panels tell the story of the organization. How it began, the humanitarian aid, the structural

aid, the different domains we are working on, the groups of ADR-Flanders and especially the collaboration and friendship between Flanders and Romania.

The exhibition exists in Dutch and Romanian.

You could already visit it in Timişoara during the decentralized forum (October 2019) and in the Gallo-Roman museum in Tongeren during the exhibition ‘Dacia Felix’ (November 2019).

Furthermore, ADR-groups can borrow (a part of) the exhibition for their activities.

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Theatre Play ‘Ongedoofde Lichten – Candele Nestinse’ The play is about the Romanian elite captured, imprisoned, interrogated, roughed and eliminated during the communistic period.

The professional theatre company Compania Teatrală ‘ZONA’ București performed it. The Dutch translation was projected.

Ongedoofde Lichten – Candele Nestinse’ took place in the 5 provinces in Flanders with the ADR local groups collaboration.

There was a performance in Roeselare, Bertem, Aalst, Turnhout and Hasselt. In December 2019, the piece was also broadcast on national television in Romania.

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Belgian Week at Iași

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very year the Belgian Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BEROCC) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Romania are organizing a Belgian Week in Romania. In 2019, the event took place in Iași, April 1st - 4th. The Belgian Week is a free event for entrepreneurs, policy makers, NGOs and institutions from both the economic and social sectors.

The central topic was 'Healthcare and Homecare'.

Actie Dorpen Roemenië Flanders (ADRVlaanderen) together with The Open Network for Community Development Foundation (TON) were co-organizer of this international event and organized 3 workshops:

GTG 30.10 Association came with a testimony of a burn patient and presented their coloring book for children and their play on burn prevention.

3. Homecare & Long-Term Care: first, models and initiatives on long-term care and homecare from Belgium, Poland, Moldova and Switzerland were presented.

The situation in Romania was compared with these examples.

As a result of this Belgian Week on Healthcare and Homecare, a new initiative was launched during the Gala Dinner namely, 'The Iasi Health Consortium'. The idea is to make a consortium of local and regional policymakers, health institutions, companies, NGO’s, universities and schools, etc. to work on Positive Health for citizens, starting with youngsters and elderly people. This model will be further worked out in 2020. For more info on the Belgian week, visit www.berocc.com.

1. Prevention: here attention was paid to methods for performing risk analyzes at the national level. Furthermore, the question 'How can, working on a healthy lifestyle, become a permanent point of attention at the regional and local level?'

Finally, concrete proposals were given about working on a healthy working environment and lifestyle in companies.

2. Burn Prevention: the Belgian Burn Foundation presented, among other things, a box to teach burn prevention to preschool children. In addition, Colectiv

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Thomas More University College Geel: International Days and Familiarization Trip with Social Map of Beiuș

A

DR/TON have a long-lasting collaboration with Thomas More University College in Geel. Two years ago, we signed an Erasmus agreement between Thomas More and ADR/TON. During the International Days of Thomas More March 19-22, 2019, ADR/TON presented their initiatives and projects. At this event, around 30 different countries are meeting to present experiences and curricula and looking for collaborations, exchanges and internships.

We presented for the nurse & midwife department in Mechelen and Lier and for the social department in Geel.

Also, in 2019 a second familiarization trip with 13 students and 2 docents from Thomas More nurse & midwife department together with the social department was organized by ADR/TON. The trip started in Oradea (contact with university and students) and went over Beiuș (contact with mayor, hospital, The Good Samaritan, Racetex company), Slatina-Timiș (problem of elderly and homecare, child protection home Zăgujeni, elderly house

Caransebeș), Arad (Gynecology hospital, social service city, Carp-Omenia Arad).

This trip is an 'Interdisciplinary Intensive Program' with 5 study points for the students.

The program is designed for Social Work and Nursing - students and focuses on the social and healthcare system in Romania.

During this familiarization trip, a social map of Beiuș was made. The purpose of this social map is to bring together information about Beiuș in order to find out the needs of the local community. It is based on:  Quantitative data (statistics): for this reference can be made to the data available at the website of the Romanian National Institute for Statistics (www.insse.ro).  Qualitative data (interviews, movies, focus groups…)

The social map of Beiuș was also serving for BIORACER/RACETEX regarding employers and education information of the region.

The social map of Beiuș can be downloaded at www.theopennetwork.ro or www.adrvlaanderen.be.

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7th Forum on Decentralized Cooperation Belgium-Romania, October, Timișoara

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etween October 3rd - 5th, the 7th Forum Decentralized Cooperation BE-RO took place in Timișoara under the title: '30 Years of Decentralized Belgian-Romanian Cooperation.

Towards another 30 years of investing in

It was a challenge and on the other hand, inspiring to discuss the state of affairs after 30 years of collaboration between Belgium and Romania.

The forum always looks at cooperation within the current and future social context. For this forum, it meant decentralized cooperation between Belgium and Romania following the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, the EU parliamentary elections, the BREXIT period, during Europalia Romania 2019, 30 years after the revolution, and in the prospect of Timişoara as EU Capital of Culture (2021) and the post 2020 EU agenda.

people'. The event was organized by ADRVlaanderen, Opération Villages RoumainsWallonie-Bruxelles (OVR W-B) and The Open Network for Community Development (TON), together with the Embassy of Belgium in Romania, the Embassy of Romania to Belgium, Timiș County Council, Timiș Prefecture and the Belgian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce BEROCC.

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In addition, the 7th Forum focused on the role of local decentralized action groups in implementing and realizing European and national priorities.

Through working groups and focus meetings, attention was paid to the theme 'past, present and future in a context of shared values and ambitions'.

Around 120 participants attended 3 days of business seminars, plenary sessions, workshops and the different social activities.

Amongst them, 50 speakers presented their projects and discussed future collaboration opportunities. It was an intensive program with a lot of new proposals, exchanged contacts and ideas.

It’s question now for the coming years to work with the conclusions of the 7th Forum and towards the 8th Forum on Decentralized Cooperation, to be held in Belgium, Flanders, October 2021.

All information, as well as the 'Forum Conclusion Book', can be found on the Forum website: www.fobero.eu.

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Europalia Romania

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he host country of the Europalia Art Festival in 2019-2020 is Romania.

Starting in October 2019 the festival consists of more than 200 artistic events throughout Belgium and other European countries. There are exhibitions as well as performing arts, music, literature, conferences and cinema. The most eye-catching events are the Exhibition of ‘Dacia Felix’ and the exhibition of Brâncuși.

ADR-Flanders also organizes some activities that connect with Europalia.

of the ADR-Flanders exhibition ’30 years of solidarity, cooperation, friendship and multiculturalism’. Among the guests was present the new Romanian ambassador in Belgium, H.E. Mrs Andreea Păstârnac.

In April 2020, there will be the round table ‘Romanian orthodox communion and the integration process: cultural opportunities and challenges’. During Easter break, there are workshops egg painting and making ancient masks.

In Brussels, you could visit the exhibition about Constantin Brâncuși (1876 – 1957). He is considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century. ‘Dacia Felix’ in the Gallo-Roman museum in Tongeren is about the glorious past of Romania (106 A.D).

The exhibition shows different ancient old silver and gold treasures.

During ‘Dacia Felix’ (November 2019 - April 2020), ADR-Flanders also organizes some activities together with local ADR-group Vatra Limburg. In November there was the opening

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ADR-Vlaanderen Contact Day 2019

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DR-Flanders had its annual Contact Day on Saturday 23 November 2019. This year in Roeselare (West-Flanders). The theme was the migration from Romanians to Flanders and the future of ADR Flanders.

The day started with a word of welcome from the chairman of ADR-Flanders (Jozef Goebels), the mayor of Roeselare (Kris Declercq) and the Romanian ambassador to Belgium (H.E. Mrs Andreea Păstârnac). The former Belgian ambassador to Romania (H.E. Mr Thomas Baekelandt) and his wife (Ilse) were thanked for the good cooperation with ADR-Flanders during the period that H.E. Mr Thomas Baekelandt was active in Bucharest.

Johan Wets (KU Leuven) then provided more insight into the migration (or better: EU internal mobility) from Romanians to Belgium.

Subsequently, within this theme, Let’s work

Roeselare on employment, NARIC Flanders on the recognition of diplomas and Arthis - The Belgian-Romanian Cultural House in Brussels on their activities were discussed.

During lunch, there was time for networking, a Romanian wine tasting and a surprise act by a Romanian children's choir organized by ‘Romanians from Roeselare vzw’.

In the afternoon, the future plans of ADRFlanders were revealed. The inspiration book, a practical handbook for local ADR groups, was presented for the first time.

Only 3% of the world population is migrating.

In Romania, more than 10% of the population is migrating. In Flanders, the Romanian diaspora is the fastest growing group of migrants. For ADR-Vlaanderen, they are a new target group.

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TON MEMBERS ACTIVITIES

Development of

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Development of Health Mutual organizations by FDAAM

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he restart of FDAAM - ‘Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Asociațiilor de Ajutor Mutual’ progressively continued in 2019.

During a board meeting in March 2019 in Cluj, bylaws were adapted to the new and real situation and rearrangement of the board implemented. The decision was taken to move the seat of FDAAM from Cluj to Bucharest.

Further collaboration with ADR/TON, and especially with the TON health department with experience in health matters in Romania and an extended network, was agreed.

A brainstorming was held as well in Belgium as in Romania on the future of Health Mutual Organizations in Romania and in deepening the real health situation in Romania. The drafting of a concept note for the future have been started up.

This concept note will be built around ‘Positive Health’ and ‘Healthy Communes’, with the importance to get policymakers local and regional, trained to invest in Positive Health.

Started from the pilot projects ADAM SlatinaTimiș and ADAM Moldovița that have been set up beginning 2000.

As you can read in the contribution on homecare and seen the situation of elderly people in Romania, the need of homecare as well social as medical and volunteer initiatives like VIZIDOM (Samana in Belgium) are very important.

FDAAM participated at the Belgian Week on Healthcare and Homecare, an organization of BEROCC - Belgium Romanian Chamber of Commerce and the Belgian Embassy in Romania in collaboration with ADR/TON, Iași April 1st - 4th, 2019. Specific also the insights of a Belgian Mutuality (CM) on these issues were presented.

FDAAM also participated at the 7th Forum on Decentralized Cooperation Belgium-Romania, October 2nd - 5th, 2019 in Timișoara.

Presentations on positive health were given.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

JOZEF GOEBELS

CRISTINA VLADU

IOAN SURU

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SIMONA BRUSTUR

ALEXANDRU STOIAN

Rotary Keerbergen sponsored toilet chairs for homecare

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n September 2019, we were again kindly invited to present the work of ADR/TON at Rotary Keerbergen (BE). As a result of this presentation and contacts, Rotary Keerbergen decided to donate also, for 2019, 1.000 Euro to ADR/TON. We wrote a proposal to allocate this money this year for toilet chairs. With the gift, we could buy 14 toilet chairs that will be distributed within the ADR/TON homecare network.

In the brochure of Rotary Keerberegen, ADR/ TON are also mentioned as one of the 10 projects they granted.

We also discussed the possibility to apply for a Rotary Global Grant in the coming years. Here we see a possibility to go for a pilot project of a Daycare Center in Slatina-TimiČ™.

With many thanks to Rotary Keerbergen for their donation and nice collaboration and to Rik Dehertogh from ADR-Vlaanderen who keeps this line open.

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JANUARY M

6

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7

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1

2

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9

10 11 12

January 3 - April 30 - Call for renewing TON membership January 1 - June 30 - Fundraising for Project 2: Solidarity and Health

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Handmade workshops (periodically in 2020) (OLF Moldovita)

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

24 - Women's Workshop - REGAL Project

27 28 29 30 31

25 - CORVEE, in the world of the former village (OLF Poienita)

ACTIVITIES 202

FEBRUARY M 3

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W 5

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F 7

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S

1

2

8

9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Women's Workshop - REGAL Project 2 - Chandeleur, celebration of light (OLF ANIMA) 22 - 23 - Day of love for volunteering (AGLT)

24 25 26 27 28 29

Women's Workshop - REGAL Project

MARCH M

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W

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S 1

2

3

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5

6

7

8

9

10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

1 - 8 - Exhibition/Making of "martisoare" (ADSEL Dumitresti) 8 - Excursion to the Monasteries from Neamt County (OLF Moldovita) 8 - "Flowers for mothers" (OLF Giurcari) 8 - Women's Day (OLF Poienita) 8 - "A smile, a flower!" (OLF Chiojdeni) 8 - Women's Day – A "martisor", a flower, for everyone!

(ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 12 - 21 - Familiarization trip to Romania of Thomas More University' students (ADR + TON) 23 - Down Syndrome Day (ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 26 - 27 - SOS Fire project meeting in Bucharest

Women's Workshop - REGAL Project

APRIL M 6

T 7

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F

S

S

1

2

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4

5

8

9

10 11 12

Easter Fair: Making/Sale Greeting cards (ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 2 - Health for all (ADSEL Dumitresti) 4 - 5 - TON DAY (National Campaign: World Health Day) (AGLT)

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

5 - Vizidom at Suzana Monastery Suzana, Prahova County (OLF Poienita)

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

7 - Health Day information session (ADAM Moldovita)

27 28 29 30

17 - "Give from the heart!" (OLF Giurcari) 22 - Earth Day (OLF Chiojdeni)

1-31 - TON Spring Trainings Women's Workshop - REGAL Project

MAY M 4

T 5

W 6

T 7

F

S

S

Belgian Students training course visit (ADL Cehu Silvaniei)

1

2

3

1 - HERE I BELONG - heritage restoration and reconditioning (OLF ANIMA)

8

9 10

11 - 14 - Belgian Week in Bucharest (BEROCC)

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

15 - International Family Day (OLF Giurcari)

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 - 31 - SCACD - Common Action Week for Children with Disabilities (AGLT)

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Structures in Th

28 - Heroes Day (OLF Giurcari) 28 - Heroes Day (OLF Poienita) 28 - Ascension of Jesus - Heroes Day (OLF Chiojdeni) Women's Workshop - REGAL Project

JUNE M

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1

2

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5

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8

9

10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 - Children's Day (ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 1 - Children's Day, activity in collaboration with GLT (OLF Moldovita) 1 - Children's Day (OLF Chiojdeni) 5 - World Environment Day (OLF Chiojdeni) 8 - 10 - REGAL project meeting in Portugal 13 - 21 - Cycling tour in the Banat region (ADR + TON) 14 - The campaign "Donate blood!" (ADSEL Dumitresti) 24 - The live fire of the Sanziene, on the Danube (OLF ANIMA) 25 - 27 - Pilgrimage to Monasteries in Moldova (OLF Poienita)

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With financia

JULY

CALENDAR 20

Eternal Waves (waltz course) - section for children and adults, with a final presentation in the form of a Ball with fundraising, on the central Danube pontoon (OLF ANIMA) July 1 - December 31 - Fundraising for Project 3: Solidarity and Volunteering 24 - 26 - TONNE 8 at Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinti County (TON and OLF ANIMA) 26 - TON Foundation Day - 8 years July 30 - August 4 - Muncel National Camp (AGLT)

M

T

6

7

W

T

F

S

S

1

8

2

3

4

5

9

10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

AUGUST

6 - 11 - Adventure Camp in Daeni (AGLT) 15 - Se sas, Theotokos (OLF ANIMA) August 29 - September 6 - Cycling tour in the Maramures region (ADR + TON)

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T

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F

3

4

5

6

7

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S

1

2

8

9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 1 - 15 - EL CAMINO, Nicodim from Tismana, the protector of the region - a proposal for a spiritual tourism route, in the form of a walking tour (OLF ANIMA) 5 - 13 - Cycling tour in the Maramures region (ADR + TON) 8 – "Cycling for homecare" Caravan and Rround Table on the theme - integrated long-term care services (ILD) (ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 29 - World Heart Day (OLF Giurcari)

M 7

T 1 8

W T F S S 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

OCTOBER

1 - International Day for Older Persons (ADAM Moldovita) Visit to senior care centers in the city - anniversary (ADL Cehu Silvaniei) 1 - Storytelling about grandparents (ADSEL Dumitresti) 8 - 9 - SOS Fire project meeting in Portugal October-November - training home care for the elderly and adults with disabilities (OLF ANIMA) 16 - Information session - Eating Healthy Day (ADAM Moldovita) 24 - ZCA - Common Action Day (AGLT)

M

T

W

5

6

7

T

F

S

S

1 8

2

3

4

9

10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

26 - From the fall chambers (OLF ANIMA)

NOVEMBER M

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S 1

Day of donated fruits and vegetables - collecting and donation to disadvantaged families, elderly and children (ADL Cehu Silvaniei)

he Open Network

28 - ADR Contact Day - Province Limburg (ADR)

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

DECEMBER

al support of

Christmas fair (ADL Cehu Silvaniei)

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5 - Winter preparations for seniors (ADSEL Dumitresti) 6 - Santa Nicholas' shoes (OLF Chiojdeni) 20 - 25 - Group of carolers (OLF Moldovita) 23 - 25 - Santa's coming! (OLF Chiojdeni)

2%

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7

T 1 8

W T F S S 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Homecare services and Long Term Care

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ong Term Care/Homecare services have been further developed by ADR/ TON in Romania alongside with the provision of support to the small homecare services provided in Viscri, Slatina-Timiș and Moldovița. A number of advocacy activities have been designed:  A Long Term Care round table during the Belgian week in Iași, April 2019 with guests from the NGO provider network but also from national and county level decision makers organizations such as the Ministry of Health, The National Agency for Quality in Health, County Health Insurance House, District Health Authorities, social assistance departments from local Governments.

The importance of promoting integrated care has been underlined by Belgium guest speakers from CM and the WhiteYellow Cross.  The Organization of two round tables on the subject of Long Term Care occasioned by the passage of the Cycling for Homecare Campaign through Cehu Silvaniei and Baia Mare. Local and county level NGOs and decision makers have been informed over the benefits of homecare services, over the estimated number of persons that would need homecare in their communities according to the overall population and the percentage of the elderly in their communities. They have been challenged to address this important need of the elderly population (developments to be discussed with them during the





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next tour of the Cycling for Homecare Campaign in 2020).

The organization of meetings with a new stakeholder, the National Council for the Elderly, an organization that ensures representation of Romanian elderly in all legal framework development. A partnership agreement has been discussed and further meetings are planned in 2020.

Last but not least, homecare services were considered a central ingredient as part of the concept and practice for developing mutual health organizations within Romanian communities.

An example, as a result of the homecare projects started up by TON, a few years ago is for sure Bunești (Brașov)

2

019 was a very busy year for the people of the homecare organization in Buneşti.

The homecare organization is part of the association ‘Viscri Începe’. In 2017 the association changed her bylaws to make homecare one of their activities.

The collaboration with the town hall is one of the fundamentals of this homecare project.

During 2019, an average of 45 to 50 persons per month were helped by the organization. In total, more than 100 different people were supported in 2019.

That is more than 4% of all inhabitants of Buneşti!

2019 was also the year the homecare started with a system of membership fee.

This will be further rolled out in 2020 and 2021.

With a flexible team of 5 people and the financial and logistic support from the commune of Buneşti and Actiecomité Roemenië Glabbeek the homecare in Bunești looks forward to a fruitful 2020. ~ Piet Henckens

In addition to the financial support of 20 RON per inhabitant that is already assured for 2020, cooperation with the social worker of the Viscri commune is very important. As a result of the monitoring that the social worker carries out, the homecare organization builds up an image of quality and reliability.

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Asociația De Ajutor Mutual ADAM Moldovița Moldovița Commune, Suceava County www.fdaam.ro/en/adam-moldovita.html www.facebook.com/Adam-Moldovita

Simona Elena Brustur symonik28@yahoo.com

Home care service

18 participants

initiative group ‘A village for a village Kruibeke -Moldovița’, Belgium and from its own funds. 14 beneficiaries pay a contribution between 25 and 50 lei/month with which we manage to ensure the transport of the carers at homes.

One beneficiary has an income of less than 300 lei/month and he benefits from free services.

12 volunteers

14.000 EURO budget

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he home care service is addressed to elderly, sick people or people with special needs to meet their daily needs with a diverse range of services. There are 2 type of services: social (help in the household, support for the payment of invoices, shopping, help for the food preparation, obtaining the medicine treatment support, supplying the house with wood and water, accompanying the family to the doctor, socializing and support for community integration) and medical (checking blood pressure and blood glucose levels, small bandages). The services are provided by qualified, energetic staff and with the desire to meet the needs of the beneficiaries.

ADAM Moldovița has implemented the service since October 2018. In 2019, the service operated with 3 employees: 2 home carers and a medical assistant and provided service to 15 people. 9 of these people receive daily services and 6 receive services 3 times a week. The program was carried out with financial support from the local authorities of Moldovița, the

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The services provided by the caregivers are noted daily in the Home Care Record, and if the needs are different, a new Home Care Plan is drawn up.

In the fall of 2019, the Kruibeke partners purchased a Dacia Logan brand car that is used exclusively for home care. Also, ADAM Moldovița made requests for the licensing of the home care service by the Ministry of Labour, currently operating on the basis of the previously obtained accreditation.

We consider that the home care service is a good program for the future but it is a difficult service to implement only with volunteers and hiring qualified personnel involves many costs. Without the financial support of the partners from Kruibeke, Belgium and local authorities from Moldovița, this service could not be implemented.

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Dental care in the TON network: Dr Alexandru Stoian, dentist/orthodontist

Cernișoara and Lăpușata Communes, Vâlcea County

Alexandru Stoian

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n 2019, our main objectives in Cernișoara and Lăpușata were providing dental care, dental prevention and informing the patients about possible dental home care treatments.

We had around 600 patients in Cernișoara and 450 patients in Lăpușata, most of them were children in both locations.

Regarding dental prevention, we continued with dental sealing treatments and dental education in our dental offices and also by going to neighboring schools.

help people in these communities. We concluded that there is general misinformation regarding this issue because people know that home care is provided by the old-fashioned way of family doctors that pay home visits.

Another important goal for us was to inform people in Cernișoara and Lăpușata about the present need of a homecare system that can

Our goal in 2020 is to develop our homecare foundation in Vâlcea County and continue the dental prevention projects in the rural area.

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Asociația De Ajutor Mutual ADAM Slatina-Timiș Slatina-Timiș, Caraș-Severin County www.fdaam.ro/en/adam-slatina-timis.html www.facebook.com/adam.slatinatimis

Ioan Suru mutualite_csro@yahoo.com

A

t the conference organized by the Asociația De Ajutor Mutual Slatina-Timiș - ADAMS, participated mayors from 7 localities from Caraș-Severin county, representatives of the County Health Insurance House - CJAS, Public Health Directorate - DSP, Prefecture and County Council, teachers, representatives of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations ISU and the Voluntary Service for Emergency Situations - SVSU, volunteers, as well as direct beneficiaries of the medical-social services performed by ADAMS.

ADAMS - Good practice model/ Conference

68 participants

23 volunteers

671 EURO budget

The activities carried out and the working method of ADAMS, TON Foundation and ADRVlaanderen were presented. Emphasis was placed on the spirit of solidarity and involvement in daily activities.

Maps with questions were generated, and social maps for various localities were to be produced, where social and especially medical needs were clearly detected. The main need was detected by the lack of doctors and average health professionals to provide compliant medical services and continuity of services.

2020 is coming with the establishment of a permanent medical centre in Slatina-Timiș, to offer the range of services needed to a population of over 10,000 inhabitants.

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OLF Moldovița Moldovița Commune, Suceava County www.fdaam.ro/en/adam-moldovita.html www.facebook.com/Adam-Moldovita

Silvia Darie dariesilvia@yahoo.com

'Promote Traditions through Handmade Crafts - PROtect'

36 participants

March 8th is a day in which we have dedicated activities for women. Because in this project March 8th was mentioned as a common day of action - this year we organized a trip to Voroneț and Humor monasteries. As the activity has been successful among our members, we hope we can offer them new opportunities to see important cultural objectives of our country.

18 volunteers

6000 EURO budget

I

n 2019, we continued the monthly activities within the Strategic Partnership Project Erasmus+ ‘PROtect - Promote Traditions through Handmade Crafts’, a project coordinated by ADAM Moldovița since September 2017 and addressed to the Women's Organization within ADAM Moldovița.

The main activities consisted of different workshops, with which our members have been familiar for many years. As a novelty for our members, in 2019 we organized a painting egg workshop in the household of one of the participants, a traditional household in Bucovina. In addition, we organized training sessions in the use of the computer in collaboration with the Technological High School "Vasile Cocea" Moldovița and introductory sessions for English conversation, with the support of the project coordinator, Mihaela Hiche.

The most intense activity from the project of 2019 is, without a doubt, the study visit that took place from June 20th-25th in Belgium.

Within this, we had the opportunity to know aspects of the Belgian culture but also of other countries involved in the project (Bulgaria and Poland); we were able to participate in practical workshops on chocolate, various embroidery and we could explore touristic attractions in Belgium from another perspective like from a private visit.

This project was a real opportunity for the women of Moldovița to develop their practical skills in hand crafts, to develop their self-esteem and to relate both within the local and international working groups. During the final project evaluation, all the women expressed their willingness and interest for new international cooperation projects but also for involvement in the current activities of the association and in community support activities.

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OLF ANIMA Drobeta-Turnu Severin Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Mehedinți County

Stela Constantinescu cste_la@yahoo.com

From soul to soul, from our pantry

7 participants

not mean much, if they were not accompanied by good, charitable deeds. The partnership continued with the action from the end of October 'From soul to soul, from our pantry' an action that had as a priority purpose, the

12 volunteers

315 EURO budget

T

he action undertaken by the OLF Anima volunteers is a continuation of the partnership with 'Shelter for street children' in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, started in February 2019, on the occasion of the Lord's Feast (known as Chandeleur in France, Belgium and Switzerland).

We decided that the attempts of the local action group, OLF Anima - to preserve and remind the community of traditions - would

raising of funds for the donation of a washing machine, necessary for the shelter where the children who are victims of family violence are staying. It is also a good opportunity to donate basic foods for autumn preserves.

We set out to come back with other opportunities (around the holidays, on children's day, on the day of education etc., to develop with children creative workshops on various topics, as much as possible according to their degree of understanding) and to try to help them see the surrounding world with other eyes so that they can more easily overcome the sadness in which their lives have thrown them, without their will.

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OLF Giurcari

Biceștii de Sus Village, Dumitrești Commune, Vrancea County

Viorica Vintilă Șontică, Marinela Ciobanu vintilasonticaviorica@gmail.com

Together at the National Day of Romania

85 participants

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Republic was proclaimed and August 23rd was adopted as a national day, under the official name of the 'Liberation from Fascist Occupation Day'.

December 1st was adopted as national day by Law no. 10 of July 31st, 1990. This decision was taken because on December 1st, 1918, The Romanians Grand National Assembly was convened, in Alba Iulia - the works ending with the Decision of unconditional union of Transylvania with Romania, being made the 'Greater Romania'. Listening to all these historical data, those present understood how important December 1st is for us Romanians.

6 volunteers

21 EURO budget

After the short history lesson, the children recited the poems and sang patriotic songs.

Some of the songs were pleasantly tuned by all those present who proudly wore our popular clothes, preserved in the grandparents' or parents' chests. As some folk costume, carry visible traces of their time, women set out to make new costumes for children and grandchildren to inherit.

y beautiful Romania, You are my mother, you are my home.

With these verses written by Ioan Palade our activity started on December 1st, 2019 - an activity dedicated to the National Day of Romania. There were children, parents, grandparents, teachers, OLF Giurcari members who provided the necessary for the smooth running of the activity.

In the first part of the activity, was presented a brief history of the National Day, which was not always celebrated on December 1st. Thus, from 1866 to 1947, May 10th - was considered a national day because on May 10th, 1866 Prince Carol of HohenzollernSigmaringen took the oath before the representative assembly of the United Romanian Principalities. After the abdication of King Mihai I, on December 30th, 1947, the Romanian People's

'Popular culture is a landmark of our national identity, together with the Orthodox faith and the Romanian language', said Mrs. Ph.D. in Philology, Iuliana Băncescu.

How can we preserve our national identity if we do not transfer in children the love of country, of popular culture, of the Romanian folk costume?

For this reason, we must not miss any opportunity to urge them to wear the folk costume specific to the area in which they live and to remind them the Romanian people history, celebrating the important days that defined us as a country and as a Romanian nation!

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OLF Chiojdeni Chiojdeni Commune, Vrancea County www.facebook.com/olf.chiojdeni

Monia Macovei macoveimonia@yahoo.com

'A smile, a flower...'

March 8th

45 participants

12 volunteers

community social development; donates time, money and resources in social and cultural activities where this involvement is needed (such as disadvantaged categories or prone to educational sensitivity).

105 EURO budget

W

e celebrated International Women's Day in the 'mărțișor' (trinket) month, representing the moment of the year when women receive flowers, trinkets and good thoughts. But women are not only receiving, they also give a whole lot of positive energy to the people who are celebrating and to those around them. Many of them take extra steps on this special day: getting involved in various beneficial actions to the whole community by commemorating the woman in her entire

In the activity 'A smile, a flower...' (March 8th), OLF members made floral ornaments, trinkets and greeting cards from various materials that were offered as gifts to the moms and women of the school. Also, girls and boys went to church and sang songs dedicated to mothers, but also to the women who were at work, and in the end they offered them a 'mărțișor' made of heart and love, along with a good thought and a sincerely 'Happy Birthday!'.

concept of dedication, work, beauty and intelligence, both emotional and rational. A women does volunteer work to support the

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OLF ‘Sfânta Maria Regină’ Coman

Parohia romano-catolică 'Sfânta Maria Regină, Coman, Bacău County

Maricica Mare alois_hirja@yahoo.it

Completion of the preparation of the 'dedication of the church in Coman'

90 participants

T

enclosures cleaning.

35 volunteers

1125 EURO budget

he women group mobilized itself and managed to involve more than 90 people (men, women and teenagers) to complete the preparations for the 'local church dedication'. The construction of the church began in 1991 and since then it has worked at different speeds. In 2019, after the work of changing the floors and pavements, an increased effort was needed to prepare the banks and the cleaning inside.

The 50 banks were cleaned with sanding machines, they were given 2-3 times with "wenge" paint and the seat and knee cushions were fitted.

Larger areas of the exterior walls affected by the works were crumbled and the statues in the church were cleaned and prepared for the holidays along with the windows and

On the day of 'dedication' together with the celebration preparation and the participation in the liturgical event, the activities offered to guests - the godparents- were: a Christian agape and the full accompaniment during the celebration. The next day, the volunteers of the group made an assessment of what they have realized and gladly shared the emotions and experiences lived in another agape lived in the family ...

Images, special thoughts, prayers and our special greetings to all our benefactors that we mentioned at the event and we continue often to be in communion with them with gratitude.

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OLF Vintileasca Vintileasca Commune, Vrancea County www.facebook.com/femeidinvintileasca

Stana Georgescu-Apostu stana_ge@yahoo.com

Eternity was born in the village

54 participants

experienced ones helped to refurbish some pieces of popular costume (belts, stems, bundles, pants). Some footage were presented

23 volunteers

67 EURO budget

O

LF Vintileasca is permanently involved in research, promotion and preservation of traditional local traditions, customs and crafts, Vintileasca being a locality where these still live in people's memory or through their permanent practice. The people keep them clean and enrich them with the sensitivity of today's person, living in an old and rich folkloric fireplace.

In December (2019), we had 23 women as volunteers. Folk craftsmen, grandparents, parents were involved in the purchase of made objects and materials, the execution of objects necessary for practicing winter habits: masks, pieces of popular costume etc. The

on the television channels and on the Facebook pages in order to promote the culture of the locality, to develop the feeling of love and admiration towards the hometown, to raise the awareness of the locals from here and from faraway people that are from an old Romanian place with invaluable values. They also baked bagels in the furnaces for carollers, they actually participated in the filming.

It was a successful activity that brought together representatives of the local community from four generations. We mention the special involvement of the following volunteers: Verginica Trestianu (74 years), Toader Noapteș and Ioana Noapteș (76 and 72 years), Stănica Apostu (80 years), Ionela Gheabă (41 years), Marioara Vrânceanu (78 years), Lenuța Turea (70 years).

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OLF Poieniţa Poienița Village, Dumitrești Commune, Vrancea County

Doina Enache enachecristea@yahoo.ro

Together we welcome the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ

85 participants

We first started cleaning the village church and set up a pleasant setting. Then the women searched the dowry box and pulled out authentic folk costumes from our area, dressed their grandchildren and neighbouring children, and urged them to go to church and receive Jesus with Romanian carols.

15 volunteers

Of course, OLF and OLB Poienița responded again 'present' and at the end of their activity, the children were rewarded with sweets.

63 EURO budget

C

hristmas holidays surround us every year with light, joy and gratitude. Now, as we all try to be closer to those around us, OLF and OLB Poienița are preparing to welcome the Lord Jesus Christ Birth.

Our work was not in vain. On Christmas Day, the church was full. There were children's voices, applause, we saw bright faces, smiles, eyes filled with emotion. We can say, therefore, that 'Heaven came down to Earth'.

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OLB Poieniţa Poienița Village, Dumitrești Commune, Vrancea County

Cristea (Titel) Enache enachecristea@yahoo.ro

Guests in the organization

20 participants

16 volunteers

We brought to the participants attention: the measures to be observed before, during and after the occurrence of an emergency situation, as well as the behaviour in such situations.

21 EURO budget

A

ccording with the protocol collaboration, between OLB Poienița, OLF Poienița with the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations I.S.U. Vrancea, we carried out a joint activity dedicated to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, October 13th.

The theme supported by the representatives of the I.S.U. was designed properly, taking into account both: the age of the community members and the risk types specific to our area: fires, earthquakes, landslides, various accidents occurring in each household and providing first aid in all these situations.

Explanations of the representatives of the I.S.U. were high, especially since we live in an area with high seismic risk and active landslides.

The preventive information materials, on different types of risk offered by the representatives of the I.S.U. were received with enthusiasm by the participants. The dialogue carried out was auspicious demonstrating that 'a person learns all his life'.

The conclusion of today's activity was that man is not the master of nature, but part of it.

Therefore, we must respect it and respect those who help us, protect us whenever it is needed and they are asked for help in the most diverse situations.

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CDL Jitia Jitia Commune, Vrancea County

Dumitru and Aneta Coman dumitrucoman13@yahoo.ro

Picturesque Jitia

8 participants

a video that captures descriptive images from the locality/region in which they live. The requirement was that the videos should last up to 3 minutes and be accompanied by a description of 5-6 lines. All the videos in the competition have been posted on the Facebook and Youtube pages of Premium Pig in order to be viewed and receive likes.

15 volunteers

Contest prize

A

team from the Jitia High School was presented in December 2019, at the sports hall in Focșani, where the winners of the 7th edition of the 'School Projects Scholarship' organized by Premium Pig were designated.

Under the slogan 'Discover Vrancea', the contest launched the challenge of the high school students from Vrancea county to make

The seven students from Jitia school, coordinated by history teacher Sorin Pantelimon, were ranked third, out of the 13 teams participating in this year's competition.

«Set in a special natural setting, at the foot of Vrancea's Mountains, Jitia has been described in the works of great scholars of the past, such as Alexandru Odobescu in 'Pseudokineghetikos', or Alexandru Vlahuță in 'Picturesque Romania'. Jitia is a pastoral community that is part of the 'Romanian mioritic space', with people who keep to their traditions, with social-cultural objectives that offer multiple moments of meditation and recreation, a particularly attractive geographical space with unrivalled tourist potential», wrote the students from Jitia in the description of their project, called 'Picturesque Jitia'.

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Asociația pentru Dezvoltare Locală (ADL) - Cehu Silvaniei

Cehu Silvaniei, Sălaj County

Rodica Fălăuș adlcehu@gmail.com

Students from Belgium in internship in Romania

50 participants

30 volunteers

themselves were met daily. At the end of this presentation, the girls served to those present some small specific snacks from Belgium prepared by themselves.

84 EURO budget

F

or the second time, between May 2nd 18th , 8 students, along with 3 teachers from the 'Don Bosco' school from Groot Bijgarden, Belgium, conducted a school internship in Cehu Silvaniei, as part of an Erasmus+ project. The aim of the internship was the certification of skills and competences in the field of elderly care, those with disabilities and pre-school children.

The internship took place at the Elderly Centre, at Down Syndrome, at the "Piticot" Kindergarten and at the Social Services Cehu Silvaniei Centre, where the students were confronted with the people in these centres care system realities.

Afterwards, they invited the representatives of these institutions and ADL Cehu Silvaniei members and presented them the conclusions of the observations made during the internship, in an interesting Romania - Belgium parallel. They noted amenities and activities comparable to those in their country, but also shortcomings in some places. They were impressed by the dedication with which the staff here deal with those in difficulties and by the warmth and openness with which they

In the first week of their stay in Romania, Mrs. Maes Hilda, President of ADR-Dilbeek-Belgium, was also present. In collaboration with ADL Cehu Silvaniei and with the Local Youth Group GLT, activities were organized in order to get students and their teachers to know aspects of history, traditions, local and national culture.

They visited the small ethnographic museum from the Children's Club of Cehu, the History Museum, the vestiges of the Roman fortress of Porolissum, the most eastern strategic point of the Roman Empire, the city of Baia Mare, the Mogșa resort, the wooden church in the village of Nadiş, they practised sports, climbing and boating in Vadu Crișului, Bihor County, attended the rehearsals of the children's dance team at the Children's Club, they ate Romanian specialities.

Before they left, the girls said that the internship helped them to decide on their future career orientation, to appreciate more what they have in their country and, at the same time, to make friends in Romania. In the end, they thanked the people involved in organizing the internship, promised that they would return and some of them even returned as tourists in Cehu Silvaniei together with their families.

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Asociația EUROPANET

Iași, Iași County https://europanetprojects.com www.facebook.com/europanetassociation

Lucian Săndoiu neteuropa@ymail.com

F.R.I.E.N.D.E.S.K Foster Reception for Inclusive Educational Needs: Development of Educational Support for Kids 200 participants

S

The general objective of ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.E.S.K. Foster Reception for Inclusive Educational Needs: Development of Educational Support for Kids’ is to reduce the social exclusion of children 0-6 years old coming from marginalized contexts through the implementation of an innovative ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) model.

10 volunteers

36,650 EURO budget

tarting from September 2019, we are developing for the next 30 months a new project funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. It is a Strategic Partnerships for school education that brings together 8 partner organizations (from Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain and Romania) with longstanding experience in the field of social inclusion and children education. In the project, we want to create and test an integrated system where teachers and experts involved in ECEC systems could work together for providing children households with an inclusive and all-encompassing service.

Considering how ECEC systems are dependent on the responsible authorities at the highest level, which may be Ministries or Regions or Municipalities, at the end of the experimentation F.R.I.E.N.D.E.S.K. will try to engage public authorities to create guidelines improving on how to tackle child poverty and social exclusion through measures such as family support and benefits, quality childcare and early-childhood education.

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Centrul de Resurse și Consultanță în Educație - CRCE

Iași, Iași County www.crceromania.ro www.facebook.com/crceromania

Cristina Victoria Cherț crceromania@yahoo.com

SCE-TRAMEUR Second Chance Employment European Re-Training Adult Module

50 participants

F

The target group of the project is women, unemployed novels with economic difficulties, those living in neighbourhoods at risk of poverty, especially if they raise their children alone or do not work due to childcare responsibilities.

3 volunteers

12,490 EURO budget

unded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, SCE-TRAMEUR project involves 6 international partners in the learning partnership that aims at enforcing its participating organizations (different adult education providers) with the capacity of developing specific short programs (‘TRAMEUR’ Modules in tangible and electronic formats) that contribute to the reinforcement of the links between education and labour market, in the actual social change of Europe.

The aim of the project is to increase the employability of these people, to facilitate access to the labour market, to establish business and to ensure social integration by raising awareness in the environment.

Already in the project, the partners had the opportunity to meet four times and discuss the development of the activities and to arrange future activities. More info on the project website: https://sites.google.com/view/ secondchanceemployment.

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ADSEL DUMITREȘTI - Asociația pentru Dezvoltare Socială, Educațională și Locală Dumitrești

Dumitrești, Vrancea County https://adseldumitresti.wordpress.com

Luci Stănilă lucystanila@yahoo.com

Autumn's display

20 participants

The themes with Bacchus inspiration, is autumn, abundance, the richness of the crops, the colours of autumn and especially to emphasize the emotions of the most colourful and rich season of the calendar. In rural areas, farmers harvest the earth fruits, the juicy and sweet tomatoes, the yellow and scented quinces, the plums, the tasty nuts, the golden apples, the sweet grapes are gathered from the vines to start making the wine, the jam, the 'zacusca' (mashed vegetables) and other various preserves made for the pantry.

6 volunteers

105 EURO budget

T

he activity 'Autumn's display' was held on October 7th, with the purpose of promoting the traditions and customs of the local community, with the coming of autumn occasion.

We highlighted at the county level, the riches of autumn, the authentic folk port, the traditional wedding, the popular dance and traditional dishes. There were presented artistic moments, sprinkled with shouts, songs, dance and good atmosphere, thus representing the south of Vrancea County.

Autumn is the season in which most weddings take place, and our participants came with the specific customs, kept from generation to generation: the dance and the cake of the bride, the wedding procession, opened by godfather and bride and then by godfather and groom, in-laws, friends, relatives and guests.

Together with us, the local partners supported the activity were Theoretical High School 'Grigore Gheba' and the Cultural Center 'Alexandru Dobrescu'.

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CDL Dumitrești Dumitrești, Vrancea County

Viorica Vintilă Șontică vintilasonticaviorica@gmail.com

Children's smile at Dumitrești dance contest

200 participants

J

15 volunteers

210 EURO budget

une 1st is the day when we celebrate those whom we have given life to, those who will carry on our spiritual and material heritage.

The International Children's Day was celebrated in Dumitrești through song, play and good atmosphere. An impressive number of children from the Râmnicu Sărat Valley got on the stage of the 'Grigore Gheba' Theoretical High School of Dumitrești to sing and dance Romanian songs and folk dances specific to the area of Muntenia with Moldova. Children's popular costumes were carefully analysed by the spectators who could not fail to notice the ornaments on the beautifully ironed blouses and skirts, ornaments that send us with the thought to the communes from which each performer or dancer comes. A popular factor in education, along with literature, is the popular art.

Cultivated from an early age, it contributes to the understanding of children of the specifics of the people they belong to, of their aspirations, the ideals of the past and present that are reflected in the customs of places, customs and traditions specific to different areas of the country.

Râmnicu Valley is an area with a great spiritual load where local traditions begin to disappear. For this reason, we, as teachers, have a duty to promote and transmit these customs and traditions by inspiring the children we model, the love for the native countries, the folk art, the dance and folk song, the customs and the specific customs of the Valley of the Râmnicu and beyond.

Folklore should be promoted as it deserves, rejecting the penetration of heterogeneous elements of urban or foreign origin, which lead to distortion, falsification and ultimately to its disappearance.

Even if we are not creators of folklore, our job gives us the opportunity to convey a positive state of mind among children and their parents towards folklore, teaching them to appreciate the value and beauty of ancestral traditions and customs.

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Împreună schimbăm Hodora - CLD Hodora Village, Cotnari Commune, Iași County www.impreunaschimbamhodora-cld.info www.facebook.com/impreunaschimbamhodora

Irina Tășală irinatasala@yahoo.com

It's their day, it's grandparents' day!

54 participants

10 volunteers

524 EURO budget

G

iven that the only activity of socializing for elderly is going to church, we tried to combine this routine with a recreational activity, exactly on their day, October 1st - the International Day for Older Persons to reward their care and kindness for their grandchildren.

Therefore, we gathered, volunteers and proposed to the grandparents a day trip, a route that includes representative monasteries for the history of Moldova region, ending at Red Lake, where they took a boat ride, admired the magnificent scenery, and they ate traditional food - 'mici'. We were not surprised to find that for some of them it was the first time they saw the mountains. In addition, it was a good opportunity to bond with new friends, to recall memories and to laugh together.

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Asociația de Prietenie Crucea-Zoersel Crucea Village, Crucea Commune, Suceava County

Anișoara Rus anisoararus90@gmail.com

Breakfast for the elderly - 3rd edition

7 volunteers

95 participants

O

n December 6th, Saint Nicholas assisted by the volunteers of Asociația de Prietenie Crucea-Zoersel in partnership with

vzw Zoersel-Crucea organized a festive breakfast for 65 people from the local senior generation. This event has already reached its third edition. At breakfast, friends from Belgium also attended the event but their location was in their country, the connection was made through an online connection. The guests also took part in an artistic program of holidays, made by the Bistrițeanca Folklore Ensemble from the town. At the same time, the 30 people with disabilities have benefited from a package at home.

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Fundația Umanitară Proiecte Limburg România Vatra Moldoviței, Suceava County

Tudorița Petroniela Huțuleac tudorita-hutuleac@hotmail.com

Hot meals for the elderly

25 participants

E

15 volunteers

755 EURO budget

very week, our volunteers distribute two portions of hot meal to 10 elderly with limited material opportunities. These elders live alone within Vatra Moldoviței commune area, at quite large distances, therefore, each distribution of food requires 4-5 volunteers.

The activity started from October 2019 and continues until 2020. For the three months we had a budget of 755 euros.

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CDL Dăeni

Dăeni, Tulcea County

Steliana Dumitru stelianaiordache@yahoo.com

I want to be a volunteer!

153 participants

C

10 volunteers

2405 EURO budget

hildren and young people from 11 localities from Dobrogea area participated in the activity ‘I want to be a volunteer!’, organized on April 20th - 22nd, 2019, in Dăeni. The activity was organized as a mini camp and involved both accommodation and meals, as well as courses held by AGLT trainers, with which we organize, moreover, annually a tent camp on the Danube.

It seems that young people have a real interest in this 'exchange of experience', as evidenced by the increase number of participants from year to year (from 30 participants in 2010, to 153 in 2019). The dedication was observed also to the adult volunteers who dealt with the administrative compartment - sanitation, kitchen, accommodation.

We also had support from Mayor Marian Mihăiță Gherghisan and Deputy Mayor Veronica Bordeiverde.

The participants were accommodated in the school as a simulation of an emergency and were involved in the activities of the groups they were part of. The final feedback showed how content and pleased were the participants by trainers, games, by the interaction with the inhabitants of the locality, by the administrative staff.

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Asociația Grupurilor Locale de Tineret - AGLT

Iași, Iași County www.aglt.org www.facebook.com/AGLT.ORG

Maria Claudia Prutieanu maria.pruteanu@aglt.org

Volunteering community involvement workshop

35 participants

and to the other. We worked with each other in the sense of the human in us, we combined the games with the information, with analysis.

We used the theatre language, we built dolls, we went down in the mechanics of our gestures and thoughts analysis and above all we knew that we were ready to give ourselves back to the community with everything we had more beautiful in us.

35 volunteers

2800 EURO budget

B

etween August 12th-16th, in Poiana Căprioarei Recreation Centre, took place the 'Volunteering - community involvement workshop' project attended by 35 AGLT's volunteers, eager to learn new things.

All these were realized within the project 'Volunteering community involvement workshop' realized by the Asociația Grupurilor Locale de Tineret AGLT together with Asociația Phoenix Codăești; project funded by “Sport and Youth County Directorate” Vaslui.

For a few days, we recalibrated the reality, included by forest and nature, far from technology, only young hearts connecting to the idea of a world in which living means communion, mutual support, self-attention

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Together Everyone Achieves More - TEAM

Constanța, Constanța County https://www.facebook.com/teamasociatia

Daniela Ghițoiu daniela_ghitoiu@yahoo.com

I

n 2014, when we were established, we were

convinced that the first 5 years would define the next 25 years! We aimed to define ourselves as a group, to clarify our values, principles, to know whom we are and what we can offer, to dream together and to build beautiful realities in children, young people, families, in the education system.

2019 is the year that has been under the aegis of the parent-child relationship, all of our big projects being governed by this objective. We have created 4 camps, for about 420 youth and children, each camp having a specific theme, which brings children and parents closer to each other. For the last 3 years, the trainers in the association have been thinking about camps around famous novels or films, thus causing children and parents to read together.

TEAM Summer School 2019, an intensive 7-day educational program, brought together 205 children and young people from all over Romania. We managed the 'Democratin' national camp, which has a tradition at the seaside with DJST Constanța.

In partnership with various institutions and NGOs, a series of debates were held, with invited local and national mentors, who can be models for young people, thus bringing a new direction of development in the education of children.

'Transform' sessions together with 11EVEN Cluj, were our model and represented a start in this new vision of education.

Education is present when it has a constant.

Starting from this principle, for 2 years, we manage to organize monthly trainings for the development of emotional intelligence / original

program created by TEAM Association, one weekend a month - 16 hours, for children and young people from 6 to 20 years. In 2019, we brought closer to non-formal education about 1,780 children and youth, both from Constanța and from 11 other localities in Romania.

The exchange of experience from Negru Vodă and the partnership with two institutions of the Orthodox Church, developed humanitarian actions in 2019, which added to the monthly support of more than 100 families, through collections that exceeded 1000 kg of donations.

Maintenance activities, hours of play, street activities, animated stories, greening, creative workshops, have been carried out in large numbers, due to the large number of volunteers involved, but also to the supervisory systems that determine their achievement, so that youth can grow in skills and be able to access a next level, that of trainer within the association. More than 950 such activities were carried out in more than 50 schools in Romania.

The year 2019 ended with a Gala of TEAM volunteers, with the theme 'The book man', which brought together 300 children, youth, parents, teachers, partners and who ended this year in Constanța County Library Hall, where the following big project of 2020 was announced, the publishing an education book, which will also be the history of TEAM and that will bring together inspirational stories of the hundreds of young people who have been marked in education by the 'TEAM concept'.

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Asociația pentru Dezvoltare Comunitară Tăut

Tăut, Bihor County

Flavius Ioan Todoran and Nicoleta Mariana Todoran nicoletamarianatodoran@yahoo.com

Creation workshops - Tăut School

55 participants

workshop per month (March, May, June, October, November, December). In April, within the week 'Different school', activities were carried out daily, rotating with different classes.

6 teachers

Donation from Oradea Rotary Club

I

n 2019, Rotary Club Oradea donated to the Gymnasium School no. 3 from Tăut three used workshops technologies for teaching purposes (kitchen, carpentry and tailoring).

These were installed in the headquarters of Asociația pentru Dezvoltare Comunitară Tăut (Association for Community Development Tăut), whose headquarters was rehabilitated by the Batăr City Hall for this purpose.

Following the arrangement of the three workshops, we have developed - starting from March - activities with children from Tăut School.

Types of activities:  The kitchen workshop (the most used): salads, baking cookies, pizza, cakes.  The carpentry workshop: making picture frames and making some cabinets for archiving school documents.  Tailoring workshop: applying making Saint Nicholas boots.

seams,

We mention that the students are willing to carry out practical activities in those three workshops and we will carry out activities, at least with the same frequency, in 2020.

A total of 55 children participated in these activities under the direct guidance of teachers (a teacher with a group of maximum 10 children).

The teachers carried out all activities as volunteers. We had at least one activity /

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TON Foundation’ Sponsors and Funders

ADR-Vlaanderen (ADR-Flanders) is an abbreviation for ‘Action Villages Romania Flanders’. Action Villages Romania unites people with a heart for Romania. ADR brings the experience of thinkers and doers together. Website: www.adrvlaanderen.be.

VZW Geels Roemeniëkomitee – The city of Geel adopted Slatina-Timis in 1989. A committee was created. In 1992 an official twinning was signed and the VZW Geels Roemeniëkomitee founded in 1994. Many ‘Best Practices’ have been set up in the past with focus on different topics. VZW Geels Roemeniëkomitee also provided the start capital for TON in 2012. Website: www.slatina-timis.be.

Christelijke Mutualiteit (Christian Mutuality) is a healthcare and benefits insurance group. It calls for the implementation of a global health policy that integrates all healthrelated determinants, solidarity, equity, quality and accessibility for all so.

Foundation for the Development of Associations of Mutual Help F.D.A.A.M. – offers support for the improvement of health, in the benefit of all Romanian citizens, no matter the address, health condition or financial conditions. The Foundation is now concentrated on the setup and further development of “health mutual organisations” in Romania in cooperation with TON. The basic idea of these health mutual organizations is “solidarity” between people, taking care of each other with special attention for the weaker groups. Website: www.fdaam.ro.

BIORACER is a speed wear company from Belgium with a branch in Beiuș, Romania RACETEX. Aerodynamics, biomechanics, muscle compression… Today all of these terms have become common items. Today nobody can deny the fact that sports have become an exact science. Website: www.bioracer.com.

Somepro vzw is a non-profit making association.

Somepro is the abbreviation of ‘Steunpunt voor Oost en Midden - Europa PROjecten’ (Point of support for Eastern and Central European Projects). Through the link with the Romanian operations, Somepro is primarily active in Romania.

Somepro is the organizer behind all the international contacts, internships, courses, adult courses etc.

Website: www.somepro.be.

Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme 2014-2020 of the European Commission and Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Belgian Romanian Chamber of Commerce BEROCC is an accredited Chamber of Commerce that aims to promote the Belgian Romanian trade and investment by supporting and defending the interests of their members and in the same time to provide information about doing business in Belgium and Romania. Website: www.berocc.com.

Rotary Club Keerbergen - Rotary is an international organization where camaraderie and service are central. Rotary brings men and women together with different professions to discuss all kinds of topics and to develop humanitarian initiatives in the local and international community. Website: www.rotarykeerbergen.be.

Samdam Group was established in 1994 in Belgium, with the object of activity the import and distribution of promotional items. The company's expansion strategy on the European market was supported by the establishment of offices in the Netherlands, France, Romania, as well as a procurement office in Hong Kong. Website: www.samdam.ro.

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Embassy of Belgium in Romania.

Website: romania.diplomatie.belgium.be.

RESOURCES, FUNDRAISING, MEMBERSHIP

Resources

T

he Open Network for Community Development Foundation is an umbrella organization providing support for Romanian and Belgian partners (twinned or under way to collaboration), supporting the sustainable development of Romanian communities and their members.

Since TON Foundation wants to help the sustainable development of members, we realized over time many tools that our members can use to promote their activities and products they make.

You can support regional and national meetings, the trainings of our much needed foundation for the development of TON and not least local activity of each group member.

Be Connected in The Open Network and watch the actions carried out by TON volunteers. Already for 7 years TON publish bimonthly newsletter. You can subscribe to the info@theopennetwork.ro. If you are a TON member you can as well promote yourself and win visibility.

You love what we do? Follow us on Facebook! You have access to our newsletter, you can see pictures of activities, events and we invite you to interact with more than 1000 fans www.facebook.com/TheOpenNetwork.

Want to know more about us? Visit our website, discover electronic resources, and find information about courses and trainers www.theopennetwork.ro.

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Be part of our network

H

ow to become a member?

1. Send a message to info@theopennetwork.ro and ask for an ‘Official request for TON membership’; 2. Fill in the ‘Official request for TON membership’ and sent it back to info@theopennetwork.ro; 3. In maximum 2 weeks you will receive the answer to the ‘official request’ submitted by the Administration Council to the TON Board; 4. If the ‘official request’ received a positive answer, you may transfer the annual membership fee into the official account of TON; 5. You will receive the TON member card and you will be part of our TON Network.

TON network has 4 types of members:  Active Members: members (natural persons or organizations) that are active at local level, that have a Belgian partner or not, that work with one of our models;  The Individual Active Members: will be encouraged to develop their own organization (informal/formal group in

the community), in one year after they decide to be TON members.  Supporting Members: members who pay the membership fee and are informed on what we do. They may participate in our training programs by paying the training fee. The supporting members are our future project partners.  Members of Honor: these members are invited by the TON Board to join us as members of honor due to their presence, activities, expertise and experience.

Who can become a member?

Each individual and institution (public authority, association, enterprise), all who want to commit efforts, energy, time, for a better life in the community, through sustainable development.

Membership fee Individuals: 10 RON/10 EUR

Local authorities, Associations, small businesses: 50 RON/50 EUR Large structures – NGOs, enterprises: 400 RON/100 EUR

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Support TON Foundation activities and projects

R

How we work

edirect 2% and 3,5%

• What it is and how it works? Every year, YOU can choose to have 2% (3,5% for the last 8 months of 2019) of your income tax redirected to a non-profit entity. We propose you to support the development of associations at the local level, in rural and small urban communities, all over the country. Local volunteers have the insight, capacity and willingness to transform their communities. Little support is all it takes to see them blossom. At this time, we are working in about 25 communities. With your help, 2020 may be the year when we go further.

• Determined to support us? Ask the 230 Form at the Financial Administration from the municipality you belong to, fill it with the information below and submit it until May 25.

• Give us a chance to thank you! Notify us by email at info@theopennetwork.ro if when you have submitted the form, we’d love to say ‘thank you!’.

For contributions or 2% and 3,5%: Fundația The Open Network for Community Development Address: Grajduri, Iași, 707215, Romania CUI: 30474995 EUR IBAN Account: RO86 BTRL 0240 4205 7388 44XX RON IBAN Account: RO40 BTRL 0240 1205 7388 44XX Bank Transilvania S.A. Agency PODU ROȘ, BD SOCOLA NR 2, IAȘI, RO SWIFT: BTRLRO 22

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W

e promote and facilitate the implementation of community development best practices by:  Exchanges of experience at national and regional level through courses and workshops  Development of projects in partnership at local, regional, national and/or international level  Online Newsletter/Facebook Page/Website  Network of regional and national trainers TON is an extended team made of volunteers, local coordinators, regional trainers, professional workers and administration council members, mostly from Romania, but also from Belgium.

TON founders are 5 Belgian citizens and 4 Romanian citizens - presently, all members of the administration council.

The national coordination of the various projects and initiatives is ruled by an executive director which, together with 3 other professional workers (responsible for the online promotion and development of internal communication and projects), apply the decisions of the Administration Council.

Furthermore, 26 Regional trainers cover all the 8 administrative regions of Romania, facilitating the top-down communication and collaboration (between the members of the Administration Council, professional workers and the coordinators of the local organisations), as well as horizontally (between the members of the local organizations and the Belgian partners).

Not lastly, the team of the TON is formed of all the local volunteers, specialists and coordinators involved in the development of different structures/organisations, in more than 35 municipalities, all over Romania.

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www.TheOpenNetwork.ro | www.facebook.com/TheOpenNetwork info@theopennetwork.ro | CP 1370, OP 6, Iași, Romania

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