Development of social infrastructure: a PEFETEbased project in Romania

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Development of social infrastructure a
PEFETE-based project in Romania
PEFETE meeting, Sofia, 7-10 June 2006

• By Giovanni Lamura (INRCA), Rodica Oana (IIZ-DVV)
  Benoit Hameleers (Odyssee)

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Contents of presentation

• Background of the IIZ-DVV PEFETE project in
  Romania (Giovanni Lamura)
• Current status and major achievements of the
  project (Rodica Oana)
• Problems encountered and final remarks (Benoit
  Hameleers)

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Background of the PEFETE project by IIZ-DVV in
Romania

• By Giovanni Lamura, INRCA, Italy

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The beginning... (1/6)

• November 2003 PEFETE kick-off meeting
• First trio meeting (IT, NL, RO) surprise!
  Western European standards do not seem to fit
  well with Romanian senior citizens needs today
• tragic of older people (OP) marginalised in a
  country still recovering from post-revolution
  economic difficulties
• OP too poor to volunteer for traditional
  training and educational activities?

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The beginning... (2/6)

• Need for activities clearly aiming at improving
  the living conditions of older people in Romania
• At the same time, need to restore a more
  balanced, positive image of older people within
  society OP as a resource for society (and not
  only as recipient of help from it)
• Need for a bottom-up approach
• based on existing social infrastructure
• employing effective methodologies
• Internally and externally monitored in order to
  ensure long-standing results and improvements.

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The project preparation (3/6)

• March 2004 first official trio meeting in RO
• Core aspects of project proposal
• a dialectic (consultation) process between
  local population, local facilitators, national
  coordinator, international partnership
• planning of an EU-funded international
  preparatory workshop to adapt and launch project
  to local population needs
• June 2004 finalisation of project to apply for
  EU funding

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The project preparation planned project phases
(4/6)
1) national coordinator sets up a draft
educational programme (topics/methods) adapted to
local background  chooses communities
(urban/rural, economic/social background,
position, availability of local expertise and
skills) by trained local facilitators 2) local
facilitator sets up gruop of local experts and
priviledged witnesses, for revising draft
programme 3) draft programme checked by
representatives of local older population, to
reach final version. 4) delivery of programme, by
means of methods and trainers suitable to
needs/characteristics of local OP 5) evaluation
of results, assessing projects impact on
seniors life and plans for follow up activities.
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International preparatory workshop(Bucharest,
1-3 October 2004) (5/6)

• - to agree on the dialectic method to adapt
  overall aim of project to specific interests of
  local communities and involved partners, as well
  as to available resources (top-down/bottom-up)
• - to agree a simple conceptual framework as a
  common background for practical activities to be
  carried out, considering social, political,
  economic and ethical implications of the project
• - to provide examples of similar projects already
  carried out with success in the past
• - to identify possible actors playing a crucial
  role to ensure implementation of project in
  different contexts chosen (representatives of
  OPs organisations, municipalities, facilitators,
  monitors/supervisors)
• - to distinguish main tasks to be carried out
  within the project, including assessment,
  monitoring and training needs
• - provide deadlines for the above tasks
• - to estimate a realistic financial budget for
  the project.

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Surprise project had already started in the
meanwhile... (6/6)

• During summer 2004, IIZ-DVV had contacted and
  gained the interest of the national Romanian
  government and 5 local communities to implement
  the project
• First drafts of local projects had already been
  developed in cooperation with local communities
• The International Preparatory Workshop served as
  a useful support for methodological and
  monitoring purposes

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Current status and major achievements of the
project

• By Rodica OANA, IIZ-DVV, Romania

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Improving living conditions of older people in
Romania
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(01 august 2004 -31 december 2005)

• Aim of the project
• - Active involvement of Seniors in the community
  life, allowing them to adapt to nowadays
  realities and changes, enjoying mutual respect
  and equal rights with the others, using their own
  resources.

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Objectives and steps followed

• Selection of five local communities.
• Contact and informative Seminar exchange of
  experience between the facilitators and experts
  from Italy and the Netherlands ( Bucharest, 02
  oct. 2004 ).
• Local facilitators training seminar( Drajna, 03
  05 nov.).
• Realization of some project drafts by
  participants.
• Finalization of a project in every community.
• Implementation of local projects.
• Evaluation and dissemination of the results.
• Exchange of experience and good practices.

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Pilot communities selected

• Braila (BR), town, South-eastern Romania.
• Drajna (PH), village, central part of southern
  Romania.
• Mandra (BV), village, central part of Romania.
• Sulina (TL), village, in the Danube Delta.
• Stei (BH), small north-western city.
• (Each community chose its own facilitator)

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Seminar, Bucharest (02 oct. 2004)

• aim of the seminar
• To inform and to train the participants, exchange
  of ideas, experience and good practices.
• participants
• 25 persons from the counties mentioned and from
  other localities and experts from Italy Mr
  Lamura and Mr Principi and from the Netherlands
  Mr Hameleers.
• results
• Participants got a better understanding of the
  aim of the project, how to reach it and use local
  resources and especially Seniors, considered as a
  resource by themselves.

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Local Seminars, Drajna, Mandra, Sulina, Stei,
Braila (03-05 nov. 2004)

• aim of the seminar
• To inform the facilitators and other
  participants, to train them, providing them news
  skills.
• content
• Skills in order to work with seniors.
• Exchange of ideas, experience and good practices.
  
• Design of a project for every community involved
  by participants.
• results
• Participants designed projects, debated on them,
  proposed solutions and resources and realized
  that seniors by themselves represent a great
  potential.

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Project Results 

• cultural-administrative institutions were made
  aware about the problems of seniors they
  eventually provided premises and supported the
  organisation of the activities
• adult trainers of all ages (local facilitators)
  were trained and they acquired communication and
  skills and specific abilities for working with
  seniors
• the seniors themselves participated actively in
  the seminars and activities organised by the
  association
• exchange of ideas and good practices were made
  both among the pilot communities and between them
  and other communities participating in the
  program during its implementation

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• we encouraged community intergeneration and
  interethnic activities
• - At Stei and Sulina interethnic folklore
  activities were organised in Sulina
  intergeneration and interethnic competitions were
  organised, attended by mixed teams  in Sulina
  and recently Buftea, high school pupils train
  senior citizens in using Internet.
• the most important achievement was registered by
  organising training courses addressed to senior
  citizens (Sulina, Braila and more recently,
  Buftea access the Internet Braila how to
  educate well our children and grandchildren in a
  negative world or how to accept the divorce in
  the family)

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Difficulties faced

• Lack of understanding and cooperation from some
  mayors.
• Some people focused on their personal interest
  through the project, more than on positive
  aspects for Seniors.
• Lack of work-experience of some social workers
  hired by the City Hall.
• Big differences in the way every community
  approaches seniors issues (mentalities,
  initiatives implemented...).

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What can we learn, what do we need.

• A tradition of non formal adult education, -
  social work.
• Infrastructure of social work and adult
  education.
• Developing a attitude towards volunteering.
• Defining new forms of education, new roles for
  elderly people.
• Enthusiastic leadership, professional support.
• Political networking and influencing.