What A year has been for MAD-Aid and for each of us involved in it!
As Nelson Mandala says, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”. What we will be remembered for, it’s not going to be a number of iPhones we owned or a number of sports cars in our garage. The thing we will be remembered for is the legacy behind us, the number of people’s lives we made the difference.
Alongside our partners, we certainly have made a difference and transformed people’s lives in 2015. From a small charity organisation that collected and delivered redundant equipment, we embarked on life changing project. A project that is transforming radically the lives of children with disabilities and their families, a project that is changing the community approach on volunteering, a project that educates the society about disability and the hidden potential in the forgotten/ isolated children.
MAD-Aid achievements during 2015:
- Continued recycling and delivering so much needed wheelchairs, walking frames and other specialised equipment
- Delivered medical aid to Neuro hospital in Chisinau, trauma hospital and oncology hospital
- Reached around 1000 children from vulnerable families who received clothes, school stationeries, school bags, shoes, food and household items from south to north of Moldova.
- Opened first Day centre in north of Moldova for children with disabilities
- Open the first Early Intervention Centre in North of Moldova to provide non-medical therapies for children with disabilities 0-5 years old
- Created local employment in the region with high unemployment rate
- Provided the furniture and equipment for the Community Center in Mihaileni Riscani, and provided consultancy on setting up an accessible modern facility for elderly people
- Continued working on forming more partnerships in order to Make the Difference in Moldova and Romania
- Adhering to Accessible for All campaign to lobby the correct infrastructure in Moldova for building of accessibility facility such as ramps, disabled bathrooms and so on
- Welcomed Mr. Iurii Bivol as new trustee
- Receiving the Moldova State Award: Medal for “Civic Merit” for all the work MAD-Aid contributed in Moldova.
All these projects are coming with its own challenges, and especially the sustainability and continuity of our work.
As soon as we opened the centre, we adopted its beneficiaries, the children that have been isolated and abandoned for years.
At this time of the year when every child is waiting for Father Christmas and when the magic of the lights is giving hope and determination, we asked the children to write their first letter to santa.
Their responses made me shake literally, as every child older than 11 wanted just one thing: Phoenix never to be closed and to allow them to attend the centre. I want them to be children, I want them to want to have a toy, cars and sweets, but instead, they wanted this social inclusion we offering at the centre…This inclusion should be their birth rights, not a privilege we offering. After persuading them to ask for an object we got some little wishes, a small car, a bus, some sweets and one child want an Angel which would keep him safe.
Please join us on this live transformation projects, please be the Father Christmas for these children and help us keeping the Phoenix Open. You still have time to Make a Difference in 2015 or to mark a day in the calendar for 2016 where you can change someone life.
As 2016 is coming, and the light of hope is filling our heart, MAD-Aid wishes you a happy, healthy, prosperous year ahead, a year that you will remember and cherish forever, a year that you will be remembered for.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!