Newsletter

July 29th, 2006 Pentru Voi, Timisoara

September-December 2008 Timişoara

„Pentru Voi” Gala Awards 2008

On 3 December 2008 At the event participated the Mayor of Timisoara, Gheorghe
took place the Pen- Ciuhandu, the Consul of Germany, Rolf Maruhn, the Honorific
tru Voi Gala 2008, an Consul of Holland, Marius Popa, representatives of the busi-
annual event organ- ness environment, local public authorities, the newest mem-
ized by Pentru Voi bers of the Romanian Parliament, beneficiaries of Pentru Voi
Foundation on the Foundation and their families, the press etc
International Day of
Persons with Dis- The evening continued with the identification of the top com-
abilities. panies which brought the highest income to the Pentru Voi
Protected Unit. They were awarded for supporting the em-
Most representatively companies from Timisoara, which ployment of persons with intellectual disabilities in 2008: 107
proved to be socially responsible in 2008 concerning the work person at the end of 2008.
engagement of persons with intellectual disabilities, were
offered awards within the Pentru Voi Gala 2008. The event was organized through the support of the local
business community, the friends and collaborators volunteer-
The Great Award of the Pentru Voi Gala 2008 was offered ing at Pentru Voi to
to the multinational company Kromberg & Schubert, for the whom we are especially
highest contribution to the development of the Protected Unit. thankful!

There were offered 5 prizes for social responsibility: “I have always supported
* Creativity in Social Responsibility to Vodafone Romania the activity of “Pentru
* Partnership for social Inclusion to Banu Construct Voi” Foundation and I will
* Exceptional Contribution to the Social Inclusion of the continue to do so”, de-
Persons with Intellectual Disabilities to Building Design and clared the Mayor of Timi-
Subcontrol soara, Mr Gheorghe Ciu-
* Commitment in Social Responsibility to Lisa Draxlmaier handu.
* The Special Award for the Volunteer of the year to Dan Main sponsor:Foundation
Costineanu Vodafone Romania

“Pentru Voi” won the Handinnov Award for Romania!

The 5th Handinnov Laila ONU, the executive director of “Pentru Voi” Foundation
Competition was declared: “We are proud and happy about this success, and
patronaged by the we hope that this will influence decision makers in Romania
French chairman- to disseminate this example and to draw public policies
ship of European which would offer real opportunities in hiring people with in-
Union and in coop- tellectual disabilities”.
eration with Euro-
By implementing the project “Different, but together”, spon-
pean Forum of
sored by the Initiative of Mental Health of the Institute for an
Disabilities and
Open Society we developed a program for the persons with
awarded an organi-
intellectual disabilities.
zation from each of the 27 EU state-members. The award is
given to the organizations which realized models in EU of 86 persons with intellectual disabilities were hired: 33 of
social inclusion in schools, universities, work and social life them on open work market and 53 of them in protected unit
as a rule, of young people with intellectual disabilities. of “Pentru Voi” Foundation.
This project also won this year the great award of the Roma-
Nicoleta Nicolici, self-advocate of Pentru Voi Foundation
received the award at the ceremonies inParis. nian Civil Society Gala.
 AUTISM DOES NOT DISAPPEAR AT 18!

In December 2008 “Pentru Voi” Foundation
started off the project ”Autism does not disap-
pear at 18!” which aims to develop special-
ized support services for persons who were diagnosed
with autism in their childhood. The project also aims to
raise awareness among the General Practitioners (GP’s),
psychiatrists, local authorities, and local communities, re-
garding the persons who were diagnosed with autism in their
childhood.
The campaign organized within this project intends to pro-
mote the social inclusion of adults with autism. The project
also includes training sessions for the GP’s and for the spe-
cialists working with adults with autism, an advocacy group
on social inclusion of adults diagnosed with autism in their
childhood and two support groups for 15 adults with autism
and their families. All these activities will contribute to the
development of the social services for persons with intellec-
tual disabilities in Romania.
The project is financially supported by the European Union
and the Romanian Government through PHARE 2006 –
Support for the development of the mental health commu-
nity-based services and deinstitutionalisation of persons with
mental illness.

Seminar Vocational Training designed for

Establishing Protected Units Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

The seminar “Pentru Voi” Foundation and Romanian-German Foundation

organized by gave the diplomas to the persons with intellectual disabilities
“Pentru Voi” who graduated the trainings of PC operator and building
Foundation on finisher.
30 September at
Their parents, the local media and the representatives of the
Timişoara pur-
two organizations attended the ceremony. 10 of the 20 per-
posed to inform
sons who finalized the trainings are already employed, and
and to train on
for the others we looking for a job; the new qualification gives
the establishing of the protected units and attended to
them more chances to find a job.
public institutions which provide social services for persons
with intellectual disabilities. „It was a challenge to work with these young adults but at the
20 participants, representatives of public institutions for so- end we were amazed by the results of the two months
cial protection from Timisoara, Lugoj, Arad, Gavojdia, Hune- training ”, declared Dan Lazăr on behalf of the Romanian-
doara, attended the seminar. German Foundation Timisoara.

The events were organized within the project “I want and I can work!”, project financially supported by the European Union and the
Romanian Government through PHARE 2006 – Support for the development of the mental health community-based services and
deinstitutionalisation of persons with mental illness.

The Spectrum of Social Services in the Lights of the UN Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Information seminar and work meeting of the DisabNet network

“The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabili- well a number of models of good practice: Art. 19 Community
ties”, adopted by the United Na- living, Art. 24 Education, Art. 26
tions on 13 December 2006 and Habilitation and rehabilitation,
entered into force on 3 May 2008, Art. 27 Employment - supported
marks a paradigm shift in the field employment and protected units.
of disability. The purpose of the The event was organized
seminar was to discuss the impact through the financial support of
of this change on the social ser- EASPD (European Association
vices for the persons with disabili- of Service Providers for Persons
ties. with Disabilities) and Handicap
The following articles were ap- International, within the Experts
proached during the seminary, as Training Regional Program.
 The Group Home Cristian
Residential services for adults with severe intellectual disabilities

„Pentru Voi” and Habitat for director of ,,Pentru Voi” Foundation.

Romania started on building of the
group home Cristian – a residential
service for adults with severe and
associate intellectual disabilities. At
the event participated the Mayor of
Timişoara, Gheorghe Ciuhandu,
sponsors of Pentru Voi and
volunteers of the project.
,,Every human being has the right to
dignity and respect. Most throbbing
obstacle the persons with intellectual disabilities have to face
is the prejudice of some decision takers from the Social As-
sistance System, who condemn them to isolation and refuse
to confer them the chance to community living, with their
friends, relatives, neighbors” declared Laila Onu, executive
The project is possible through the
partnership between our Foundation and
the Mayoral Hall of Timisoara & the Local
Council, and it is financed by The Open
Society Mental Health Initiative –
Budapest and „Habitat for Humanity”. The
project is also supported by MG Building
Design, SC Subcontrol SRL, Romstal,
Isover, Baumix, General Beton, Tifel.
The five beneficiaries of the project will have their own room,
will self-administrate themselves, will do shopping, will make
their own decisions, and will initiate relationships. The
construction, an area of 170mp, is particularly designed for
their needs.

Political parties face to face with disability

„Pentru Voi” Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute for
Public Policies and Inclusion Romania, organized in Novem-
ber 2008, the campaign “Political parties face to face with
disability”, an attempt to include the disability in the Parlia-
ment election agenda.
The initiator organizations sent a letter to the three main po-
litical parties in Romania to ask them to state their core pri-
orities on the disability affair.
In Timis County, there were sent 42 letters to the candi-
dates for Deputy and Senator; only 12 of them replied
(28% of the candidates answered the three questions
asked in the letters). The feedback was homogeneous:
all the candidates stated their affirmative vote for the
Convention, also that they will consult the NGO’s from
the disability sector (one of the candidates said they will
hire a person with intellectual disabilities at their bu-
reau).
Given that “Pentru Voi” and the Institute for Public Policies
are promoters of the rights of persons with intellectual dis-
abilities in Romania, we will monitor the reification of the
promises made during the election campaign (law initiatives,
normative measures etc).
Please see the candidate’s response at www.pentruvoi.ro

* FLASH NEWS * FLASH NEWS * FLASH NEWS

National Conference National Conference for Self New video clips for you
22-23 September 2008, Timişoara Advocates - 3rd Edition
“Pentru Voi” featured within the Pentru
2-3 September, Mamaia
80 local and foreigner specialists Voi Gala 2008 the clip “I have finally
“Pentru Voi” Foundation organized the found a job that suits me!” The video
participated on 22-23 September at the
third edition of the National Conference presents Alin’s story, a person with
National Conference “UN Convention
for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, intellectual disabilities who found a job
on the Rights of Persons with
as self advocates. that suits him, in the same company his
Disabilities in Romania”, organized
The main topics of the Conference “UN mother is working for. During the same
through the financial support of Open
Convention on the Rights of Persons event we presented a video-
Society Mental Health Initiative –
with Disabilities” include the meaning of presentation of our activities in 2008.
Budapest. More info about the event at
the convention, its innovative value and They can be viewed at
www.pentruvoi.ro
the rights of persons with disabilities. www.youtube.com/FundaţiaPentruVoi
 The Protected Unit: 107 employees and a turnover of 204 403 Euro
Since November 2008, a number of 20 adults with
severe intellectual disabilities, from the Day Center
Ladislau Tacsi, have been involved in one of the
activities of the Protected Unit “Pentru Voi” – the
selection and the sorting of the plastic bags.
The beneficiaries working in this
group are very proud of what they
are doing, especially because in
December they were paid for the
first time for their work, and also
because they used the money to go
shopping.
Study visit to Sweden
In November 2008, our
colleague Melinda Malonay
participated in a study visit
to Gotheborg. The purpose
of the visit was to
consolidate our knowledge
of social services for adults
with intellectual disabilities: residential services, group homes
and services for adults with severe intellectual disability. We
thank Inclusion Europe and Elaine Johansson, director of
Eldorado Centre, Goteborg, for their support.
Christmas Party 2008
“Pentru Voi” Foundation organized on 18
December at the Youth House, a Christmas Party
for its beneficiaries. The program included artistic
moments, carols and folk music, followed by a
Christmas sketch and musical moments by the
Children Choir of The Highschool of Art „Ion Vidu”
Timisoara.
The same as every year, „Pentru Voi” offered presents
to its beneficiaries and their families.
We are thankful to the Local Council, to the
Prefecture of Timişoara and to our sponsors for
their generosity.
Over the year 2008 „Pentru Voi” managed to hire with
contract 107 persons with intellectual disabilities. The
placements are within the Protected Unit but also on the
open market, and the turnover of the Protected Unit for
2008 is 204 403 Euro.
It’s an unexpected success and we are thankful to
the collaborators of the Protected Unit but also to
the business community who supported us over
the past year” said Laila Onu, the executive direc-
tor of “Pentru Voi”. The profit of the protected unit
from 2008 will be used to reinvest in the protected
unit.
The beneficiaries of the Day Center
Ladislau Tácsi contribute to the
cleanliness of Petofi Park
In September “Pentru Voi” launched a Community Service
Work Program based on ecological actions proceeded in the
Petofi Park. On a weekly base, ten persons with severe in-
tellectual disabilities, accompanied by specialised educators,
collect the garbage dis-
carded in the park area. In
this way, the beneficiaries
prove that, despite their dis-
ability, they care about the
environment they live in and
they can be active citizens
who offer a model of social
responsibility.
Pentru Voi vă urează...