Dear colleagues and friends,

Last year, thanks to your generous baking and financial contributions, 1 724 € were collected and benefited to 120 children in the informal settlement of Pirita, Baia Mare, Romania. This money contributed to a teacher who helped the children with homework, to the purchase of warm winter clothing (underwear, socks, coats and boots) and to a “health fund” covering the uninsured medication, dentist checks-up and dental interventions, hygiene products (shampoo, feminine hygiene products for girls).

Families in Pirita live in huts in a field with no infrastructure or electricity. Parents do different odd jobs, including collection of metal scrap and paper from the city’s waste dumps. Many of the parents of the children in Pirita are orphans who became parents after they exited the system, with no support or skills and, most of them with extremely traumatising life experiences. In spite of their situation, and – for the past few years, with help from volunteers mainly, the children in Pirita have been supported to continue their education.

Now, the impact of COVID19 crisis on the poorest children everywhere has been reported by numerous organisations. Access to online schooling is often not an option for these children and without a proper access to education, it is very likely that a whole generation will be left behind, trapped in a cycle of poverty for years to come.

Thanks to private donations, Pirita Children Association has already arranged a pool of tablets and access to internet from the prefabricated space near the settlement to enable children’s access to online schooling on a regular basis.

However, more is needed in terms of material support for their education and wellbeing:

1. Continuing to pay a part-time support teacher to help children with homework - around 250 €/month;

2. Maintaining the “health & hygiene fund” - around 150 €/month;

3. Ensuring daily provision of fresh fruits for the children attending the activities - around 100 €/month;

Understandably, this year, we are unable to organise a Charity Cake Day and raise funds in order to support access to education and health for Pirita children.

But, if we cannot bake for you, we will knit! We already have a set of nice handmade scarves available that you can receive in exchange of your donation, as well as nice cotton tote bags with original drawings.

For more details, cash donations and any other information, please contact Ana Oprisan (ana. oprisan@coe.int) , Eylem Soylemez (Eylem.soylemez@coe.int) or Clémentine Trolong-Bailly (clementine.trolong-bailly@coe.int).

You can also transfer your contribution directly to Pirita Association bank account. In case you transfer money directly, make sure you inform us and send us your email address so we can keep you posted about the impact of your contribution.

Asocia?ia Pirita Children - Copiii din Pirita- Baia Mare, str. Forestierilor nr. 57-

Banca Comerciala Romana- Sucursala Maramures / Baia Mare- Swift code : RNCBROBU