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ANNUAL REPORT 2016

Photo de Florina R

udaru enfant de la Casa V

alentina – Atelier anim

é par l’AN

AV

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Sum

mar

yEditorial

Outstanding facts

Year 2016 in pictures

Who are we ?

Our programs

Stakeholders of Valentina

Financial rapport

Our sponsors

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Editorial2016, a year of significant change !

At the very beginning of the year 2016, we have changed our logo : the V carrying the Valentina baby has been replaced with an open book hold by the hands of the children we have accompanied and who have grown up with our association. This new logo is the result of a reflection about our current activities and the heart of our activity. It reflects our wish to give these deprived children the right to a future through education. May this book open a new story to be written day after day with the children of Ferentari, their families, the Casa Valentina team, the volunteers, and all our institutional partners or companies.

A new program has been launched to accompany the oldest ones towards an adult life : the mentoring. Becoming the mentor of a teenager from la Casa, it means all at the same time: to help him to know himself and the world better, to make him feel confident and to give him motivation to make his dream life or job come true.5 experienced volunteers have accepted the challenge with us. We will have to learn from this experience to maintain our ambition with the teenagers.

During summer 2016, a part of the team has been renewed : new president, new director but also a new social assistant and new volunteers. We thank all the ones who had to leave to pursue other interests for the great work they have done for years for Valentina. We take up the torch, bringing very likely a renewal to the association and keeping with the day-to-day actions towards the children and families.

As for the MIA sewing workshop, new creations have emerged through an exclusive design to renew the range of bags and many other products. It has been a period of time full of actions but also of smiles for these moms.

The year 2016 has also been marked by the opening towards other associations : the Joyo Foundation, the Policy Center, Carusel and Children Action. These exchanges have given birth to synergies to share advice and become more efficient and stronger in order to help the children.

We let you (re) discover in the following pages what have been our actions during this year 2016. These ones would definitely not have emerged without the support of all the ones who help us financially or give some of their time. Once more we greatly thank them for their generosity.

Alice WECK, présidente de Valentina Romania

Gabriela GHEORGHE, directrice exécutive de Valentina Romania

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A new logo to confirm our educative mission

With a new visual identity symbolized by the book hold by the hands of the children, the association Valentina Romania reaffirms its vocation for a better education of the underprivileged children of the Ferentari neighbourhood of Bucharest.

The association has started in 1995 thanks to French volunteers bringing material and medical support to the needy children of Bucharest. The name Valentina comes from the first name of a girl who did not recover from an operation. This story has inspired the first logo: a baby hold by the branches of a V.

In the last 20 years the Roumanian society has evolved. So did our association which had to adapt his missions to the reality on the ground.

Today, our actions are focused on education: pre-schooling of the children under 6, school monitoring of the oldest ones, hygiene education and professional formation.

Sign

ifica

nt e

vent

s 20

16

1995 2016

A huge thank you goes to the communication agency Erka which has offer its assistance to bring about this transformation.

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Little artist will become famous ...

It all started with a photography workshop proposed to the children of La Casa in partnership with the ANAV (Associatie Nationala pentru Arte Vizuale contemporane). About ten children from La Casa went off to explore their city with a professional photographer. Most of them have never crossed the boundaries of the neighbourhood of Ferentari and even less hold a camera.

The workshop resulted in a photo exhibition. It could all have ended there but the photographs are very beautiful. The idea of selling them to supporting members of the association caught on and happened at the French Embassy during our New Year’s Address.

Significant events 2016

Sucess is immediate and the photograph of Ionut Caitor called “ Portret in geam ” is bought by Monsieur Gigaudaut, the Director of the French Institute. This story continues as the Institute celebrates in 2018 its 80th birthday. The photograph catches the eye of Richard Edwards, who was back them writing a book about the building. He writes :

“this picture holds back time and forces us to wait and contemplate. It reminds us that we need to take the time to live”.

This was a consecration for the work of Ionut, 11. He could like his friends spontaneously express his feelings, prove his talent, and be congratulated by the French President during his state visit in Roumania in september 2016.

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6/01: Cooking pastries with the volunteers

9/02 : the photograph taken by Marius with Mihai Ghika

the Secretary of State for culture.

28/01 : Launch of the new logo at the French

Embassy

28/03 : Ana elected best educator by United Way Family

1/03 : Making of Martisoare for Nestlé

Year

201

6 in

pic

ture

s

6/04 : Bakery workshop at Cora Sun Plaza

12/04 : Event by Mia at the show room

9/04 : Olympic Games Decathlon with Bucar’help

13/04 : Writing letters to French pupils with Bucar’help

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Year 2016 in pictures

15/04 : Creation of decorated eggs at Cora Sun

Plaza

Easter holidays : Dance and English worskhop

6/05 : Cooking pancakes with volunteers

18/05 : new furniture offered by Cora for the children of

LaCasa

10/05 : Distributionof clothes collected by Bucar’help

19/05 : Going to the cinema : 3D movie « Alice

in Wonderland »

11/05 : Valentina invited at the TV program of Fara Eticheta on TVR1

01/06 : Children’s Day , going to the cinema and

make up/drawing workshops

07/06 : Awareness program about the dangers of drugs

with the association Carusel

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Year

201

6 in

pic

ture

s

End of June : Trip to the farm with Kidics and Cora

30/06 : Restoration of the garden at la Casa by Cora

22/06 : Visit of the factory Dacia

20/07 : Installation of computers by PentalogJune : Creative workshop at

HP

July : summer camp at Bran

20/09 : MIA stand at the IWA market

12/09 : Presentation of the book « 77 bd Dacia » by Ionut to the French President F. Hollande

29/08 : Reopening of Bucabooks

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Year 2016 in pictures

24/10 : Sale by Mia for Halloween at the International American school

13/10 : Associations coffee by AFB

4/11 : Bookmark workshop at the Kyralina library

26/11 : Presentation of the cheque for the sale of the

book “Révélations Roumaines”

22/11 : Award ceremony of the drawing competition in partnership with JOYO at the French Institute

20/11 : Show Clasic si Fantastic at the Atheneum

6/12 : Two actors Paul Ipate and Octavian Strunila came for Saint Nicolas

17/12 : Christmas celebration

22/12 : Visit of the National Museum of History

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Who

are

we

?The association Valentina România has been created in 2002 by French volunteers and is implanted in one of the most underprivileged neighbourhood of Bucharest : Ferentari.

In 2006 Valentina România increased its support on the spot by opening The Casa Valentina, a place to provide academic support, welcome and help in various topics the children and the families having difficulty.

Our convictions

▪ School attendance at the youngest age to get out of poverty

▪ Parents co-responsible of the educational follow-up of the children

▪ The well-being of the family also goes with an improvement of the daily life

▪ Provide a living place, for sharing and comfort : the Casa Valentina

▪ Education of the children and formation of the parents to give hope of a better life

Our goal

Provide to the kids of underprivileged families an access to education in order to break the cycle of poverty

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The neighbourhood of Ferentari• This neighbourhood of about 100 000 inhabitants covers most of the sector 5

of Bucharest, in the South-West part of the city. It has been affected by the 1989 Revolution and started to decline. Since 2000, its deterioration is stronger and stronger.

• The neighbourhood is excluded of the rest of the city because of a lack of public transport. Streets are not refurbished and community infrastructures (hospital, swimming pool…) have closed one after the other.

• Today the neighbourhood consists of small houses inhabited by a very modest population and areas with very degraded blocks of flats, organised like ghettos and where a population of an extreme poverty live. Many destitute families came here illegally to settle in flats that are most of the time without water or electricity most of the time.

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Key

figu

res

2016

100 children benefit from our support

18000 hot and balanced meals served daily

74 families supported and followed by the team

8 employees work for Valentina

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Key figures 2016

7 moms employees and trainees of the MIA workshop 2 employees for supervision

7th year of the existence of the workshop

3500 goods produced and sold

+40 participations to markets, private sales, showroom

8 workstations equipped with sewing machines, embroiderer, systems for ironing and cut

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• Pre-school (Kindergarten) education takes place most often in public schools (Gradinita) free of charge. Valentina pays for the cost of meals (in the school canteen) and of school supplies, which, in this area comes as a deterrent to sending the children to school.

• Valentina’s social workers help the parent(s) with the registration files and with monitoring the children (assiduousness, behaviour).

• Each family in the program is visited once in a quarter by the social worker.

For the school-year started in September 2016 :

28 new children have been subscribed,60 children in total benefit from this program.

Pres

choo

ling

(3 to

6 y

ears

old

)

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• At La Casa, the daily center of Valentina România, students from primary school, secondary school and high school get educational support everyday and are supervised by an educator and qualified volunteers.

40 hot meals are served daily

• Children firstly integrated in this program are the ones coming from families whose living conditions do not allow the child to do homework at home but who care yet about the education of their child.

In September 2016 :

13 new children have subscribed,40 children in total benefit from this program.

Educational support (7 to 17 years old)

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• At the “Casa Valentina”, once school-work is finished, children and teenagers are proposed educational activities and games arranged by the educationist or the volunteers.

• Outings are organised thanks to our partners. It gives the children the opportunity to go to the theatre or to a movie, to attend opera, or to visit a museum.

In 2016 :

•One weekend devoted to sport has been organised by BUCAR’ help, a group of students from Lille (France), sponsored by DECATHLON – on top of giving some equipment, this firm has shown its social dedication by asking its staff to liven up the day. 67 children of the association, aged 4 to 16 years, took part to the event.

• And, year after year, we take away the children for one week vacation: in 2016, the summer camp took place in Bran (Transylvania): 28 children of the day-centre have participated to this momentous time which has included visits to the Bran castle, the bear reserve in Zarnesti and the Dino-park in Rasnov.

Extr

acur

ricul

ar a

ctiv

ities

3 entertainment activities 12 cultural outings 4 job workshops 20recreatives workshops bowling, cinema theatre, museum cooking, creating inside la Casa

visit of a farm, visit of a company

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Mentoring

• In January 2016, a new programme has been tried to prepare the teenagers to adulthood: the “tutoring”.Indeed, the children of the day-centre grow up and need help to find out their right track.

• Today, out of 40 children, 11 are teenagers (13 to 15) and 19 about to be (10 to 12).

• In 2016 also a visit to the DACIA-RENAULT plant has been organised.

In 2016 : 5 tutors have been volunteers and exchanged with their godchild.

“ I learn a child valorisation and self-esteem and self-worth ““I give a child motivation

to learn “

“I help a child to discover his passions”

“I want to make a difference in the life of a child by helping him with

my own means”

“I make him discover the professional world”

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Psyc

holo

gica

l sup

port

• Each child in the day-centre is monitored by our psychologist. The families experiencing difficulties may also get help or advice, depending of the situations.

• Besides individual sessions with the children, are organised sessions with the families or in groups.

• The psychologist actually sees every new child, assesses his or her situation and makes recommendations for the selection of the children in the various programmes.

• All year long the psychologist assists the educationist, notably for high-risk children in need of an individual action-plan, the objective being the same for all, i.e. that they do not drop out school.

In 2016, have been achieved :

350 sessions for 42 beneficiaries (children/teenagers)

40 sessions for 10 families

15 sessions in groups

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Valentina România also aims at helping the reinsertion of the parents by taking classes again or attending professional trainings.

In 2016 : 6 parents benefited from a professional training (nurser, restaurant waiter, hairdressr).

Inside La Casa there is also a sewing workshop for the mothers of some children. « Mama In Actiune » it is : - 7 years of action- 1 workshop leader- 1 saleswoman

3 experienced mothers and 4 mothersattending paid training

MIA it is also :- 5 French volunteers helping for the support function of the workshop : development of new products, quality control, sales , communication.

Professional training

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The

stak

ehol

ders

of V

alen

tina Board of directors Executive team

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The stakeholders of ValentinaMany French and Romanian volunteers are involved in the association :

Team communication

Bukabooks

Valentina France

Bukakids

TeamFundraising

Team MiaHelp with the homeworks

and activities

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A g

odm

othe

r fro

m th

e he

arth

“The Valentina association is a place a lot of children call “home”.

To find a relaxing and clean atmosphere when you live in a really cold environment, having a hot meal waiting for you with parenthood love, be driven and helped to learn the best way for a good life, having sympathy and support when you have been hurt, means HOME.

The volunteers of the association are doing this every day. They put their guts, love and patience to teach those hurt kids.

Those children will become adult and will be part of a society that we want better, cleaner and more civilized.

This is why it is important to support their education.”

Medeea Marinescu, famous actor from the movie You Are So Beautiful

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Soon after November 2014 when I arrived in Bucharest, I joined by chance the small team in charge of Valentina’s communication. This was in line with my previous job and I could not imagine myself an expat’s idle wife; shortly, I was sort of taken over by the contagious dynamics of Valentina’s actions. First came organizing the launching event of the new website of the association, then – together with other volunteers - making the site ever more live. The next events were for fundraising: e.g. a piano recital by end 2015 or the projection of the film “The Exam-day” in the “Institut Français”. Each time, the action would start from scratch and generate a lot of enthusiasm and genuine sharing. Thanks to this experience, I meet other persons, Romanian or French, and, together, we build new projects attracting donations for the children of Casa Valentina. In a generous way, I also happen to develop a proficiency in communication, still keeping some free time for other activities. And each visit to the Casa is a reward for our efforts.

Arrived in October 2016, I felt attracted by the open-mindedness of the team and the variety of its doings. In Casa Valentina, I came very soon to appreciate its sound and serene atmosphere, so favourable to the fulfilment of the children and of the volunteers as well. I started by going along with the social workers visiting the families. This let me know more personally the beneficiaries of the association and their living conditions. Indeed, I was not expecting so deep poverty in Europe; however, I discovered great people, in dignity and heart. The social workers play an essential part as they create the link with the families and the base for the well-being of their children. This is not only attending but also making them responsible. I very much support this concept! Not yet able to speak to them in Rumanian, I succeed in communicating in a mix of French, Italian, Rumanian, English and … “smile-speak”.I have now proposed a course, rather an activity in French, to the children of the morning session, to make French learning more playful. Miriam, of Italian origin, does it along with me: it is rich for all of us! As a volunteer, we come to participate to many traditional or cultural events, such as the Christmas tree, the workshop for bookmarks and many others to create. Valentina, it is Europe on the move!

Some w

ords from the volunteers

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First of all, I would like to state Valentina’s team and their work with children and young adult in the Ferentari neighborhood have been inspiring to me.It is during those several months spent with them that I discovered my passion for social work, therefore I took the decision to follow a sociology program at university. I will never forget my first day… I arrived earlier than the other volunteers, therefore I found myself alone with the afternoon children. It was in January 2016. I was shy, and there I am, in front of dozen of kids asking me tons of questions. My Romanian vocabulary was very limited, so I tried anyway to introduce myself. The kids were very polite and welcoming. From this first day, I was very comfortable to provide support with homework, help with serving lunch or simply have a chat with them. Those children have really impressed me day after day. They come from area that are marginalized, disadvantaged and dispossessed in education and social skills. Yet I would see them each afternoon with a smile, happy to be here in Casa Valentina. Valentina’s association is today, one of the few association in Romania that are fighting to eliminate the vicious circle of many kids’ life. Per children’s universal right, those children deserve a good education in a safe environment, and more important, they should have a chance of success in life. A child can change the world for the better if he is put in the right path.So

me

wor

ds fr

om th

e vo

lunt

eers

ţ

It becomes a point in our life, we wish or not: Retirement. And it is like this, one day I had a lot of free time in my hand, so I decided to offer part of it.It is at the retirement home that I met a woman, Maria. She was volunteering. It is like this I discovered Valentina’s association. I met a full team of wonderful people and fantastic children wanting friendship and love. Little by little, with patience and understanding, we became closer. We do homework, we read, we talk about life, friends, families. We work on respecting hygiene, nutrition and going to school every day. It is like that 3 times a week, I come here with my love and I have the feeling to be useful.

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I am expatriated since several years, and it has been nearly 5 years in Bucarest. I have always been volunteering in the French speaking association during those tims away.This time, I wanted to give some of my time to an association that help people in the country where I stay.The mission of MIA is to help women from disadvantaged neighborhood by teaching them a job to enable them to join the working world. This touched me.I therefore joined the volunteering team by putting my (long time ago!) professional skills to develop the sale part of the MIA stitching workshop.I did much more than I thought I would do at the beginning. Like in any small business, everyone can touch a lot of different subjects and I learnt a lot!I met a lot of enthusiastic volunteers which (like me) have discovered passion and unexpected competencies.I met really nice Romanian women which I would not have known without MIA and Casa Valentina.I will soon leave Romania and my time with MIA will stay a strong memorable moment.I hope to have brought to MIA as much as MIA brought to me and I wish for years to come many more volunteers will live this very rewarding experience.

Some w

ords from the volunteers

I arrived in Romania 3 years ago, I joined MIA’s volunteering team in September 2015. It is a very great experience in meeting people: meeting women in the MIA’s workshop, meeting volunteers and customers coming from everywhere in the world. I first started managing the sale part by doing a showroom. Then, we developed private sales and multiple events allowing showing our range of MIA products. There is a diversity of task to do such as creating new product, managing stocks, communication, and so on. Creating a good atmosphere allowed me to enjoy my work and I was satisfied to help the women in the MIA workshop to allow them to have a job and an income.

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In line with our implication in social life, IPSO Agricultura has focused on activities for helping and improving disadvantaged families.

We are speaking about kids in difficult situation, family with little to no income and other category of people with little to no money.

In this way, Valentina association has taken our attention with the company activities and healthy principle that are the base of their support. We are speaking about the support to kids for study, grow up healthy and education of the family to find a decent way of life.

In coherence with the value of our business, we have adhered to the association’s project and we have offered a financial support to help them in their mission. This financial support is oriented to the kids to receive a hot meal at lunch, helping them with homework, helping them to have good mark at school and therefore reduce the numbers of drop out at school in those poor neighborhood.

Therefore, we are supporting the association and will continue to do so in their program to help mothers by teaching and specializing them in a job. This to enable them to ensure they can provide for themselves and their family with an income.

We wish all the best in your different activities Valentina!

Som

e w

ords

from

the

part

ners

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A project dear to my hearth … or how I have convinced people to get involved in social responsibilty actions.

June 2015 has been the beginning of a very beautiful story aimed at bringing joy in the hearth of the children taken in charge by Valentina. Actually the management team has started to volunteering.

17 children from the association came into the company with the wish of discovering the activities and jobs of Cora. I immediately felt that taking part in this kind of project could contribute in a better future and give them future prospects. J'ai senti alors que la participation à un tel projet pouvait contribuer à un av

8 members from the executive team answered positively and joined the “volunteers’ squad” as we called it. Since the beginning they have been offering their time, contacts, competencies and enthusiasm to help. Year 2016 was not only about pursuing the activities launched last year but also about implementing new actions. Our specialized bakers, pastry chefs and cookers have organized workshops with the children (confectionery, bakery, pizzas) to share their talent and skills. We have also arranged the garden of the association with the help of the children. During the very hot summer days we have visited the aviation museum and had a boat trip on the lake of Herastrau. During the cold days we went to the museum or to the cinema. For Easter the children learnt the secrets of a Romanian tradition which consists in painting eggs, they were assisted by a popular artist from Bucovine.On the 1st of June we celebrated Children’s Day with a show offered by professional artists and a painting workshop. Then we took part in a project called “The School of the game”. It aimed at raising awareness about the traditional games played in front of the blocks in the past when social interaction was more important than the individualistic widgets of today! We had a meeting with a famous actor called Alin Panc. For Saint Nicolas we arrived at La Casa carrying armloads of presents (books, candies), an impressive Christmas Tree and two Christmas elves played by the famous actors Paul Ipate and Octavian Strunila. We saw this as a challenge, fully aware of the added value we can bring to our society!

Some w

ords from the partners

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Fina

ncia

l rep

ort 2

016

Financial resources RON Cost units RON

Foundations 365.674 Kindergarten Program 156.398

20% RO Corporate Tax 169.127 Schooling Support ** 308.039

2% Individual Income Tax 8.532 Help to Families 128.968

Individual Donations 5.862 Sewing Workshop 169.742

Fundraising Events in RO * 69.995 Common Operating Expenses 55.258

Sewing Workshop Sales 110.385

Donations in kind 95.698

Proceeds 2016 825.271 Expenses 2016 818.404

Balance 6.867

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Financial report 2016

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Spon

sors

and

par

tner

s

gabriela.gheorghe@valentina-romania.roasociatia@valentina-romania.romiabyvalentina@gmail.com (atelier MIA)

Str. Dârste nr 4, Sector 5, BucureştiTel/Fax: +40 21 335 19 19

Asociatia Valentina Romania

www.valentina-romania.ro/fr

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Support usYou are...

❖ An individual- Make a donation to the association in order to support our actions : participate to the education and the school fees (cantina, meal at the daily center; school supplies), fiund material of housing rehabilitation- If you work in Romania, you can redirect 2% of your revenues taxes to our association

❖ A companyBecome a sponsor of Valentina România !- If your head office is in Romania, you can give, without any charges, 20 % of your taxes on benefits to the association of your choice. - Support us with financial donations, sponsoring actions or material donations

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