Motivation Romania Foundation is a non-governmental organization created in 1995 to support the social inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in Romania.

Our programs stress the need for social, educational and vocational inclusion, community-based care and participation of people with disabilities in social activities such as adapted sports and cultural events. Motivation’s projects for people with disabilities have brought the recognition of Romanian beneficiaries and international donors as the only organization in Romania providing the complete package of equipments and services for wheelchair users, including:

• PERSONALIZED WHEELCHAIRS for mobility, provided together with
• MEDICAL REHABILITATION.
• INDEPENDENT LIVING TRAINING
• EMPLOPYMENT services
• COMMUNITY-based SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES DEINSTITUTIONALIZED to group homes, foster families and natural families
• SOCIAL INCLUSION through sports, adapted driving school, summer camps and other types of support
• ADVOCACY for inclusion and access to rights
• Participation in NETWORKS to promote transfer of skills, experiences, programmes and policies for people with disabilities

One of our major programs was initiated in 2002 and led to the transfer of 37 children with disabilities from Placement Center no. 4 Tancabesti, Ilfov County, in 5 family-like group homes, in foster and natural families.

Since the first four children were transferred from the institution by Motivation in January 2002, our organization has made exceptional efforts to ensure continued direct care service provision at the five group homes and through the foster families. At the same time Motivation developed additional supports such as: physical rehabilitation, day care services, special school and mainstream educational integration, and day care services for the children and young adults with disabilities.

The fundraising initiative endorsed by Vodafone Romania biking team will support the partic

ipation in socializing activities of the children and teenagers with developmental disabilities transferred to Motivation’s family-like group homes and to foster families.

We aim at providing each child the opportunity to participate in camps and other socializing activities in order to develop social interaction skills and thus, to achieve a better integration in the community.

Organizing camps and other socializing activities for our children and teenagers proved to be a successful method as they have the chance to make new friends and to play with them; they are encouraged to trust themselves and prepare for an independent living.

The support from Vodafone Romania biking team will help us create these socializing opportunities. Children from our group homes and from foster families will have monthly activities (visits to different museums in Bucharest, visits to the Zoo, sports activities together with other children from Bragadiru School, playing activities in the park). Furthermore, they will have the chance to spend seven days in a camp organized in the mountain area where they will play, visit the surroundings and have a good time.

The funds will cover all the cost related to camps participation (food, accommodation, transport, playing and educational materials),  as well as the cost related to other socializing activities for one year (transport, tickets). This amount will also cover a percentage of the salary for one psychopédagogue, who will accompany the children in all these activities.