Thematic recreational trips organized in February for Ukrainians from Bucharest
In February 2024, we continued the series of thematic recreational trips for people forcibly displaced from Ukraine hosted by the General Directorates of Social Work and Child Protection in Bucharest organized within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees”, as part of the program of psycho-social activities.
Thus, two new locations were visited, which allowed the participants to familiarize with notions of flora, fauna, history and culture of the Romanian people, namely the Mud Volcanoes – Buzău and the Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni.
The Mud Volcanoes from Buzău county, declared a natural monument in 1924, are the most representative volcanoes of this type in Romania. The volcanoes represent a protected area, being a natural botanical and geological reserve, the second in size in Europe. Although the usual vegetation is not found in the area, due to the sulphureous soil, the reserve represents a favorable environment for a rare plant – Nitraria schoberi.
Following the thematic trip organized to the Mud Volcanoes, the beneficiaries of the project acquired elements of Romania’s flora and fauna.
Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni, built in 1911 at the request of Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, represents one of Romania’s monuments of great architectural, historical, and documentary value. The castle houses a whole collection of heraldry representing 27 coats of arms of boyar families related to the Cantacuzino family, a unique collection in Romania. Also, inside the castle, there is a unique gallery of wall paintings made on leather by Cordoba, which includes 12 life-size portraits of the main members of the Cantacuzino family from the Wallachian branch.
Following the thematic trip organized to the Cantacuzino Castle, the beneficiaries of the project acquired elements of the history of the Romanian people but were also able to appreciate the architectural and artistic value of the monument.
Also, the role of the trips is to increase group cohesion, to establish a climate of trust, favorable to communication.
The project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees” is implemented by the ICAR Foundation in partnership with the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria” (RCTV Memoria) with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants 2014 – 2021.
