Community Action Comes Alive In Bistrita, Romania Through A Partnership Between The International Orthodox Christian Charities And The Romanian Orthodox Church

Every day, sixteen-year-old Catalin rises early in the morning so that he can be on time for his job at the train station in Bistrita, Romania. When he arrives at the train station, he begins his daily work of cleaning the bathrooms and the train platform. The meager pay that Catalin makes is used to support his parents and his young sister. Three years ago, Catalin's father fell from scaffolding at his construction job and broke his legs in four places. The father's leg never healed properly and he has not been able to work since the accident. Young Catalin had to leave school at age thirteen in order to help the family survive. His mother works as a seamstress mending other people's clothes and together the money she and Catalin bring home is barely enough to buy food and a few other essential items.

Unfortunately, Catalin's situation is not unique. Over the past few years, the local government, churches and community groups of Bistrita have been watching as many young people drop out of school in order to find work. They must support their families because of the difficult socio-economic situation throughout Romania. Out of the 21,000 young people aged five to nineteen in Bistrita, 2,000 - or approximately 10% - do not attend school.

Catalin's teachers were very sorry to see him leave school, as he was a very good student. Once a student leaves school, opportunities for continuing education, vocational training, life skills training and income generation are very hard to come by. The community leaders of Bistrita understand this to be a big problem, as the children who have dropped out would enter life without the basic education that is necessary to succeed in today's Romanian society.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), in partnership with the Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC), were there to help the people of Bistrita organize and take action in order to give school drop-outs and other children at-risk a chance to acquire educational and vocational skills, as well as enjoy cultural and recreational activities. With a grant of $125,233 from the USAID-funded World Learning Romanian American Sustainable Partnerships (RASP) program, IOCC, ROC and Bistrita community leaders were able to respond to the community of Bistrita's wish to help their at-risk youth. IOCC and ROC are contributing $47,379 from their own resources toward this effort.

IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of Orthodox Christians worldwide, and works in cooperation with Orthodox Churches around the world. IOCC was created to address social and economic development needs - as well as to provide emergency response - in tandem with local Orthodox Churches. All assistance is provided solely on the basis of need and regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background.

Under the direction of IOCC and ROC, leaders of the community gathered to address the problem facing at-risk youth. After discussing the situation of young people in Bistrita, it was determined that there was a severe lack of access to educational, psychosocial, vocational training, recreational and cultural activities.

To provide assistance to these youth at-risk, a Bistrita Community Youth Center was created with its own local Board of Directors. The Center is focused on providing a therapeutic program designed to add normality to the lives of youth aged twelve to eighteen and their families. The Community Center program provides normal educational, recreational and cultural activities for children and youth in a safe, non-threatening environment. Psychological and counseling services are also offered to the youth and their families as the need arises.

Youth can come to the center in the afternoon and participate in classes that teach English, French and advanced Romanian, journalism and computer skills. In addition, the youth have the opportunity to participate in a wealth of cultural and recreational activities such as art, drama, soccer and gymnastics.

Over time, the Community Center will grow and develop into a self-sustaining non-governmental organization which will respond not only to the needs of at-risk youth in Bistrita, but will also provide a reliable platform which can be used to make local citizens more aware of child welfare programs, family-oriented social assistance and community outreach programs. This program will also serve as a platform for continued partnership efforts between IOC and ROC.

Catalin is one of more than one thousand at-risk youth in Bistrita who will benefit from the Center's programs. The Center is an example of how partnership efforts can provide important opportunities to young people to improve their lives and their chances of success in Romanian society.

Back to RASPNEWS