ICAR Foundation created within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees” a map/guide web page for accessing medical services in Romania.

The map/guide for accessing medical services is of an infographic type, containing information and steps to follow for various medical situations (emergency, chronic/acute illness, etc.).

Also, the guide includes samples of various medical documents such as medical prescriptions (simple, compensated, with special regime) and referral tickets, samples that also include explanations regarding their headings.

At the same time, the guide includes a list of the main hospitals and clinics in Bucharest, depending on the specialty, as well as the guide for obtaining the disability certificate in Romania.

Both the guide and the document samples with related explanations are available in three languages: Romanian, English and Ukrainian under the section MEDICAL SERVICES GUIDE on the project website.

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.

ICAR Foundation has developed within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees” a good practice guide for health and social work specialists regarding the prevention of the establishment / exacerbation of post-traumatic disorders among people forcibly displaced from Ukraine.

The guide was developed by the expert of the partner from the Republic of Moldova, together with the project team of the ICAR Foundation, and is dedicated to health and social work specialists who work or come into contact with people from the conflict zone (Ukraine).

The guide contains information on:

• Stress and psychological trauma, including in the context of forced migration and war;

• Resilience and posttraumatic development;

• How people forcibly displaced from Ukraine can be helped;

• Steps and actions for an effective response to the refugee crisis in Ukraine.

At the same time, it also contains information on the experience of the ICAR Foundation and the partner from the Republic of Moldova, RCTV Memoria, in working with people forcibly displaced from Ukraine.

The good practice guide (the Romanian version) can be viewed by accessing the following link: https://razom.icarfoundation.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ghid-bune-practici-RAZOM.pdf

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.

The ICAR Foundation organizes on March 29, 2024, starting at 09:30, the Closing Conference of the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees“. The event will take place in Bucharest, at the Holiday Inn Bucharest-Times Hotel, Decebal Boulevard no. 19.

Representatives of public authorities and non-governmental organizations with a role in assisting migrants/refugees from Ukraine, intercultural mediators, as well as other interested parties are invited to participate in the event.

The purpose of the conference is to disseminate the results achieved within the project, which contributes to the improvement of the health status of Forced Displaced Persons from Ukraine (PSFU) by carrying out psycho-social activities for mothers and children in Ukraine under the assistance of the General Directorates of Social Work and Child Protection in Bucharest, creation of a network of intercultural health mediators and an online map of health services available in Bucharest for PSFU.

The “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees”, project 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, takes place between April 10, 2023 and April 9, 2024. The aim of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the physical and mental health of Forcedly Displaced Persons from Ukraine (FDP), by avoiding the installation/chronicling of the effects generated by the war.

About Active Citizens Fund Romania The Active Citizens Fund Romania programme is funded through the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The overall objective of the Grants is to reduce economic and social disparities, and to strengthen bilateral relations between 15 beneficiary countries and the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). The programme is administered by a consortium composed of Civil Society Development Foundation, Romanian Environmental Partnership Foundation, Resource Center for Roma Communities, PACT Foundation and Frivillighet Norge, acting as Fund Operator designated by FMO – Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants. The objectives of the Active Citizens Fund Romania are to strengthen civil society and active citizenship and to empower vulnerable groups. With a total allocation of 46,000,000 euro, the programme pursues a long-term development of the civil society sector sustainability and capacity, stepping up its role in promoting democratic participation, active citizenship and human rights, while strengthening bilateral relations with organizations from the Donor States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. For more information about the Active Citizens Fund in Romania, please go to www.activecitizensfund.ro. For more information about the EEA and Norway Grants, go to www.eeagrants.org.

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.

Within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees”, we continued to organize mixed recreational sessions for people forcibly displaced from Ukraine hosted at the General Directorates of Social Work and Child Protection in Bucharest, as part of the program of psycho-social activities.

In February 2024, various interesting and educational objectives were visited such as the Mina Kids Museum, the Metropolitan Circus, and the Garden of Lights Bucharest.

Within the Mina Kids Museum, the beneficiaries were able to enjoy a digital educational journey, in the museum spaces with interactive installations, focusing on education in the financial and nutritional fields, as well as on various activities that encourage creativity.

During the show they participated in at the Metropolitan Circus Bucharest, the beneficiaries could also watch the evolution of 2 Ukrainian acrobats, something that excited the participants.

The exhibition Alice in Wonderland – Garden of Lights Bucharest gave the opportunity to the beneficiaries to step into a world full of adventures of little Alice, as well as the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter.

The role of recreational sessions is to create a stable parent-child relationship, but also to increase group cohesion, to establish a climate of trust, favorable to communication and discovering new things.

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.

Starting in February 2022, Romania faced a massive influx of forcibly displaced people from Ukraine as a consequence of the armed conflict triggered by Russia. According to the press release sent by the General Inspectorate of the Border Police, “starting with 10.02.2022 (pre-conflict period), until 24.01.2024, 24.00, at the national level, 7,186,525 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania”. At the same time, Eurostat statistical data show that at the end of November 2023, there were over 144,000 Ukrainian citizens in Romania under temporary protection.

Like the other types of people who benefit from a form of protection in Romania, forcibly displaced people from Ukraine face various problems related to social integration, on the labor market, medical assistance, education, etc., as a result of cultural differences, linguistic, bureaucratic between the two countries. To solve these problems, migrants contact various institutions/authorities involved in the integration process, which is the reason why the need to work with intercultural mediators has arisen.

In general, intercultural mediators are foreigners who mediate between migrants and institutions in Romania, people who have connections and relationships in the communities of foreigners they come from.

The main role of intercultural mediators is to facilitate the accommodation and integration of migrants in Romanian society, providing services in various fields such as: social, health, school, judicial, public administration, etc. Even if mediators are often used as translators, most of them help migrants to understand the various procedures, to get their documents, to attend Romanian language courses, if they wish.

As far as the health field is concerned, research carried out among people forcibly displaced from Ukraine revealed that many of them encountered problems in accessing health services, due to language barriers and the differences between the health systems in Romania and Ukraine.

In order to facilitate the resolution of such problems, ICAR Foundation created a network of intercultural health mediators within the RAZOM (TOGETHER) project, Romanian and Ukrainian/Russian speakers, who participated in 2 specific training sessions in order to accompany and facilitate access of people forcibly displaced from Ukraine to medical services.

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.

In December 2023, together with our Ukrainian beneficiaries, we organized various activities within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees” so that they could familiarize with Romanian traditions and customs for the winter holidays.

Thus, at the beginning of December, we went with some of our beneficiaries to the “Laminor Winter Wonderland” Christmas Fair where they could admire the costume exhibition and watch the performances organized within the fair. The children also participated in various creative workshops (face-painting, making dolls, etc.).

The series of activities continued the following week with a visit to the Children’s Museum, where they were able to step into the magical world of winter in a Christmas exhibition. The little ones learned about cold areas fauna, astronomical phenomena specific to the cold season, customs, traditions and were able to enjoy a carousel ride as well as a sock skating session in the ice rink inside the museum.

This week, together with the Ukrainian children from Hub Băneasa, we participated in the Christmas celebration. The children prepared various recitals and skits for Santa Claus who rewarded them with various gifts. The little ones also made a wall newspaper where they drew and left letters of thanks for the activities they participated in within the project.

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.

Within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees”, ICAR Foundation implements a program of psycho-social activities that also includes the organization of mixed recreational sessions for people forcibly displaced from Ukraine hosted at the level of the General Directorates of Social Work and Child Protection in Bucharest.

The role of these recreational sessions is both to create a stable parent-child relationship and to increase group cohesion, to establish a climate of trust, favorable to communication and discovering new things.

The activities are organized by the psychologist within the project, together with the intercultural mediators, and consist of visiting various interesting and educational objectives such as museums, the zoo, the botanical garden, etc. They have the role of stimulating children’s curiosity and knowledge about history, culture, flora, fauna, etc.

Creative and art workshops are also organized, as well as other leisure activities, aimed at developing the creativity, communication skills and team cooperation of both children and mothers.

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.

As a part of “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees” project, ICAR Foundation organized a series of DIY workshops for Ukrainian children from the centers in the city of Bucharest involved in the project.

During the workshops, the children had the chance to familiarize themselves with various work techniques, such as jewelry making. They learned how to make bracelets or necklaces from beads, thus being able to express their creativity.

Another important part of these workshops was the inclusion of children, DIY activities allowing them to acquire certain skills alongside other children with similar interests or situations.

At the same time, through DIY workshops, children acquire planning, organizing and responsibility skills, which leads to the development of their confidence.

The workshops were held with the support of a jewelry specialist (designer). 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.

ICAR Foundation organized between October 11 and 13, 2023, the second training session for intercultural health mediators involved in assisting people forcibly displaced from Ukraine.

The event took place at the Sea & Sky Villa in Costinești and gathered a number of 17 people, intercultural health mediators, Romanian and Russian/Ukrainian speakers.

The purpose of the session was to continue the steps started in June in the training of intercultural health mediators in order to facilitate the access of people forcibly displaced from Ukraine to medical and mental health services.

During the session, topics such as vulnerable groups (women and children from Ukraine) and their specific approach, notions of ethics and deontology derived from health codes, prevention of psycho-emotional exhaustion (burnout), intercultural health mediation, etc. were addressed. Practical cases were also addressed, emphasizing the challenges, barriers, and solutions in preventing/solving them.

The session was supported by trainers from the Republic of Moldova and Switzerland with extensive experience working with people affected by war and migration and the consequences they can have in terms of physical and mental health and was organized within the project “RAZOM (TOGETHER) – Network of physical and mental health services adapted to the needs of Ukrainian refugees”, 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.