Fundatia FARA
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Mission Statement
FARA means ‘without’ in Romanian. It is a family for those without one. The charity was founded 25 years ago, in 1991. Today, FARA cares for over 500 children and young people annualy, in 14 programmes. As the charity has developed it has never lost sight of the vision. FARA believes in a world in which all children and young people, whatever their background or personal beliefs, can grow up with freedom and dignity in a loving and protective environment. Thanks to the dedication of FARA’s staff and supporters, thousands of Romania’s children and young people have seen its vision fulfilled. They have experienced care in a secure family setting. Their lives have been transformed, their past traumas have been healed and dreams of a better future have finally come true.
About This Cause
FARA means ‘without’ in Romanian. It is a family for those without one. The charity was founded by Jane Nicholson 25 years ago, in 1991. Following heart-rending TV reports of the terrible plight of children in Romania’s state orphanages Jane helped organise volunteers to transport basic provisions from the UK. Offering her nursing skills, she witnessed at first-hand the appalling conditions endured by severely traumatized and abused children. It quickly became clear to Jane that there was a desperate need for small, family-style homes providing western standards of childcare based on a foundation of Christian values. This vision led to the establishment of FARA’s first residential children’s home, St Nicholas, in the northeastern city of Suceava in 1997, followed by St Gabriel’s in Bucharest in 1998. Due to a desperate need to support children with disabilities, in 2007 the first of FARA’s three innovative child therapy centres was set up, providing a lifeline for poor families otherwise unable to access essential care. More recently FARA has developed residential training centres for disadvantaged 18 to 26 year-olds and set up homes for the long-term care of severely traumatized young people, some of whom have spent their whole childhood in institutional care. It has also begun tackling the root causes of rural poverty through education and community development programmes in poor rural areas. Added to this is a developing social business supporting the charity through steadily growing sales of organic fruit and vegetables. Today, FARA cares for over 500 children and young people in 14 programmes. As the charity has developed it has never lost sight of the vision which inspired Jane Nicholson 25 years ago. FARA believes in a world in which all children and young people, whatever their background or personal beliefs, can grow up with freedom and dignity in a loving and protective environment. Thanks to the dedication of FARA’s staff and supporters, thousands of Romania’s children and young people have seen its vision fulfilled. They have experienced care in a secure family setting. Their lives have been transformed. Inspired by Christian values their past traumas have been healed and dreams of a better future have finally come true. FARA TODAY - Family homes FARA runs one purpose-built small family home for vulnerable and neglected children aged 0 to 18 years, St Nicholas in Suceava. Up to 12 places are available in total. Many of the children have suffered from neglect and deprivation and most have problems linked to past mental and physical abuse. Through FARA’s care, children experience the love, individual support and psychological care needed to come to terms with their past traumas. The children grow up in FARA’s family home until they have completed their education. As they reach adolescence they are helped to prepare for a future as independent adults while being encouraged to keep in touch with the home and its staff - just as they would with brothers, sisters and parents in a birth family. Those able to attend university also retain their links and return to FARA during vacations. Since the opening, FARA’s family home has seen over 60 children embark on new lives, full of promise, in a loving family environment. - Child Therapy Centres FARA’s three child therapy centres are based in Bucharest (Raphael Centre) and Suceava District (Theresa Centre and Emmanuel Centre). Each one provides day-care facilities for children from poor families, aged between 2 and 12, who have special needs or are in the autism spectrum. At any one time up to 80 children in each centre can receive special education, physiotherapy, and speech and sensory therapy. In Romania, funded support for children with special needs is very limited. A small minority receive some form of education, mostly in mainstream schools which are unable to provide individual care and attention. For parents otherwise unable to access suitable provision FARA offers a lifeline with the potential to transform their children’s prospects. - Tackling Poverty through Education FARA’s programmes to promote rural regeneration are based in impoverished communities in north-eastern Romania. Here, unemployment rates are as high as 47% and large families frequently live in one or two roomed houses with little heating or lighting. Many parents travel long distances in search of work. Coupled with the stresses of living in extreme poverty this can lead to family breakdown, alcohol abuse and domestic violence. As a result, school dropout rates are very high. Yet with every year of education achieved, the chances of a child ending up in poverty reduce by 5%. In this desperate situation, FARA promotes education as a way out of poverty. At no cost to parents it provides children with: • a daily hot meal • school equipment and books • homework clubs and support with learning • social worker support to promote the whole family’s wellbeing. 70% of Romania’s rural population, according to the World Bank, are living in poverty due to authorities’ inability to intervene appropriately. A lack of infrastructure blights the countryside, affecting everything from schools to medical facilities. The Independent - Homes for life Situated in villages in Romania’s rural northeast, FARA’s two community homes provide long-term care and support for up to 18 adults who have spent their earlier lives in state institutions. Most have learning disabilities or mental health problems as a result of sustained abuse in the past. FARA’s staff provide residents with individual care and help them integrate with the local community. Each home also has a large garden with fruit and vegetables as well as a small number of farm animals, providing ample scope for seasonal activities. The latest house, Elizabeta Home, opened in summer 2016 in the pilgrimage village of Cacica on the edge of the Carpathian mountains. The ten young adults are delighted with their home and are already becoming closely involved with their community. - FARA Transit Centres – residential training centres for young adults FARA runs two centres based on the internationally accredited ‘Foyer’ model of residential training. One – the first to open – is located in Satu Mare in the extreme northwest of Romania. The other, which opened in 2016, is based in Popesti-Leordeni on the outskirts of Bucharest. The aim of each centre is to provide high-quality training in vocational and life-skills for up to 16 young people aged 18 to 26. The hostel accommodation takes the form of comfortably furnished rooms with cooking facilities. Most of those assisted are from severely deprived backgrounds – including some from institutional care – and would otherwise be unable to find work or afford the cost of training and end up living on the streets. FARA’s support dramatically improves their otherwise bleak job prospects. Almost 70% of those leaving the Transit Centres secure local employment. Thanks to FARA’s Satu Mare Transit Centre, young people with little hope have begun to flourish. Since 2011: 19 have gained the confidence to continue their education of gain a professional qualification 115 have moved on to live independently, with their own home and a permanent job 19 have received medical attention to improve their general health. FARA Charity is supported by a chain of 47 charity shops in London, and also by donors, child sponsors and supporters. We hope that with the generosity of so many people FARA will continue to develop and reach out to many more disadvantaged and neglected children and young people in Romania. The spirit of FARA is to build families and communities, to love and to serve them.