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OUR OBJECTIVES
Fighting for the relief of poverty, sickness and distress and to advance education and intergration amongst the children and young people in Cernavoda, Romania.
Cernavoda is a very poor community with a population of approximately 25,000.
A summary of the current projects being run by Nightingales Children Project is as follows:
i) Casa Fericirii 'Home of Happiness'
A home for HIV positive previously institutionalised young adults with learning difficulties, providing them with all the care, support and opportunities they need. The independent living arm supports the ex-members of Casa Fericirii to live as independent adults in the town of Cernavoda.
ii) Nightingales School
Helping children who, due to poverty or learning disabilities, are unable to benefit from state education, giving them a chance at least to learn to read and write with the aim of gaining a recognised school diploma which will provide them with the opportunity to enter into state higher education.
iii) Tereza Community Centre
To occupy, integrate and educate the youth of Cernavoda, through sports and recreational activities. Cernavoda is an extremely poor area and has very little to offer teenagers to pass their free time. As a result many of them turn to stealing, alcohol, prostitution and gambling to relieve boredom. The centre brings children together from all backgrounds offering them a chance to pass their time in a constructive manner learning new skills and making new friends.
iv) Independent Living for Institutionalised young people
Nightingales is in the process of setting up a new project to provide post institution support for those leaving the state's orphanage care system at the age of 18. The goal is to provide them with the life skills and support to become independent, self-supporting members of society and to enjoy life, rather than turning to prostitution, stealing and begging.
v) Fighting the causes of human trafficking and prostitution
Nightingales is currently piloting a mentoring scheme in Cernavoda for young girls identified as being at risk of either choosing to go into prostitution or being trafficked. This project began in 2009 and aims to offer young girls the chance to see that there are other opportunities for girls from a poor background, and to make them aware of what they are able to achieve in life by running awareness courses at our communicty Centre and also by sponsoring young girls though high school. It currently costs approximately £30 per month to sponsor a young girl through high school.
Nightingales Children's Project needs in excess of £100,000 a year in order to continue running its current projects. |
