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The HOPE Foundation (Fundatia
Speranta - Romanian) was established in 1998 to meet the needs of the
young people who grew up in orphanages. Its aim is to help these young
people in the region, as according to the practice of the Romanian government,
every person being in the care of an orphanage must leave the institution
upon the completion of his/her studies. This means that a lot of people
have to leave the orphanage at the age of 18, without any further support
from the authorities. These people regularly become extremely poor with
very few prospects for improvement. HOPE Foundation tries to help these
youth in every respect possible, ranging from moral support to financial
and rights advocacy. It also tries to provide for leisure activities,
by supporting a soccer team and a basketball team of post-orphanage
youth (the soccer team is very successful in the local championship),
a chorus, by organizing and funding trips, festive dinners (Christmas,
Easter), provides free internet access at the office of the Foundation.
Helping young and single mothers to raise their children is also a major
interest of the Foundation, by supplying, occasionally, subject to the
available funds, baby food, diapers, clothing, One of the long-term projects of the Foundation is the acquisition of social homes for post-orphanage youths in critical need for shelter. Unfortunately due to the lack of support from the authorities and the business sector, this project still awaits the necessary funds to get it started. Another ongoing long-term project of the Foundation is job-intermediation for its target group (250-300 persons), as finding employment for youth is difficult, for several reasons. Among these reasons are: lack of qualifications, stigmatization, lack of presentable attire etc. Perhaps one of the most critically important activities of the Foundation is counseling, in many respects, but most importantly in judicial matters, as the youth that come out of the orphanages lack the adequate socialization that would be essential for having good representation in court for example. HOPE Foundation pursues advocacy for the rights of the youth that come out of the orphanages at various levels.
Events Organized by the HOPE Foundation in 2014:
Agenda for 2015:
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