On September 26, the “Civil Society Gala – 21st Edition” prizes were awarded, an important competition dedicated to the activities of non-governmental organizations in Romania.
SERA Romania Foundation received the Second Prize for the Defense of Individual and Collective Rights for the CARE FOR UKRAINE initiative, a humanitarian coalition which, from February 24, 2022, counteracts the dramatic effects, at a human and social level, of the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
Further recognition of the value of this initiative came through the distinction received by FONPC (Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Children), whose efforts to support Ukrainian refugees were recognized with the IIIrd Prize for Social Inclusion.
“The Civil Society Gala is the initiative that, for over two decades, has put the efforts of our NGOs under
the spotlight. The truth is that we are not used to be under the spotlight, but in the darkness that we have been trying to dispel for over 27 years: the darkness of poverty, of needs, and of the dramas of vulnerable children. The Ukrainian crisis brought an additional weight on the shoulders of non-governmental organizations in Romania, that is why we all joined this unprecedented project – CARE FOR UKRAINE, which is a wonderful example of good practices for Romania. For all these reasons, we are honored to be chosen by the jury of the Civil Society Gala.” – Bogdan Simion, President of SERA Romania Foundation
CARE FOR UKRAINE is an extensive humanitarian project supported by the global confederation CARE and implemented at national level by SERA Romania Foundation, CARE France and FONPC, a project which, from its beginning until now, has coagulated a network of 35 partner organizations from Romania and The Republic of Moldova, and meant the immediate and effective initiation, both in terms of geographical locaization and types of intervention, of a support network for Ukrainian refugees, as early as the end of February 2022.
“The Civil Society Gala is a competition whose mission is to recognize the initiatives made to improve the 
life in the communities and rewards the civic spirit and social responsibility. The Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Children has been creating, for over a quarter of a century, together with its members, this network of good. This time we extended the strength of this network, together with our partners from SERA Romania Foundation and CARE, to support the Ukrainian refugees. It was a test of resilience for all FONPC members and this award validates our efforts.” – Daniela Boșca – FONPC Executive Director.
Context:
Since the first moments of the escalation of the situation in Ukraine, the global confederation CARE has initiated consistent humanitarian support, both in the affected Ukrainian cities and in the countries with the largest influxes of refugees, such as Poland, Georgia, Romania and the Republic of Moldova, reaching approximately one million people internationally. In Romania, one of the main implementation areas of the support actions for Ukrainian refugees, CARE intervened through two long-term partners – SERA Foundation Romania and FONPC (Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Children), through CARE FOR UKRAINE initiative which reached, at the end of March 2023, over 150,000 people affected by the conflict. 35 NGOs from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were part of CARE FOR UKRAINE humanitarian action.
The organizations and projects supported by CARE and implemented at national level through SERA Romania Foundation, with the support of CARE France and FONPC are: YouHub Association, FARA Foundation, ESTUAR Foundation, CARUSEL Association, Esperando Association, Parada Foundation, AMURTEL România Association, ASSOC Baia Mare Association, AUTISM Baia Mare Association, Create Yourself Association, European Center for Legal Education and Research – ECLER, International Foundation for Child and Family „Dr. Alexandra Zugrăvescu”, Q-ARTS Association, The Social Incubator Association, Hello Children from Romania Association, ANAIS Association, „Rădăuțiul Civic” Association, Hands Across Romania Association, Inimă de Copil Foundation, National SCOUTS Romania Organization, ALIAT for Mental Health, Society for Children and Parents, NGOs for Social Services Federation, Club Sportiv Olimpic Snagov Association, Bethany Foundation for Social Services, Profilaxis Medical Help Foundation, Star of Hope Romania Foundation, eLiberare Association, Keystone Human Services International Moldova, Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria” (RCTV Memoria) Moldova, Women’s Law Center Moldova, DGASPC Sector 1, DGASMB, DGASPC Sector 3, DGASPC Tulcea, DGASPC Suceava, DGASPC Maramureș, DGASPC Brașov.
