Jeepers Creepers, the Halloween Ball is just around the corner and I haven”t got a thing to wear.
Though I”ve had a few ideas. Dressing as a carrot was one, but what would that do for my street cred? More glamorous might have been the part of Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with earring, cutlass and mascara, but its not just the look, it”s the swashbuckling attitude too, and it”s difficult to see the good folk at the People”s Palace taking kindly to some lunatic swinging from chandelier to chandelier in the pristine Unirii Hall. Ah, decisions. Decisions!
We are faced with decisions every hour of every day, and the decisions we are forced to make often conflict between those that will benefit us directly, and those that benefit others. If we are able to separate our own interests, detach ourselves from our immediate preoccupations and look at the world as a whole and our place in it, we find that there is a whole lot to live for besides looking out for number one. Much has been made of the cult of individualism – of, in layman”s terms, feathering one”s own nest – in post-communist societies, including societies such as the one we live amongst here in Romania. That is not to say for one moment that Romanians are not a charitable people; on the contrary, quite palpable generosity courses through the veins of almost everyone I have met here. Yet while well intentioned, sometimes charitable actions are not directed in the most effective possible manner. Perhaps, then, what has been lacking is a proper structure, a framework, where donations are put to their best possible use. As Confucius said, “Give a man a fish and his stomach will be full for a day, but teach him how to fish and he”ll never go hungry.” In handing a banknote to a child on the street many people are unwittingly prolonging that child”s miserable circumstances; he”ll take that money and buy a loaf of bread and return to the street the next day, with his hand held out asking for money again. Is that money well spent? Surely not.
Alternatively, donating that banknote to a charity such as the one behind the Halloween Ball, Ovidiu Rom, will ensure that the money is spent towards taking that same child off the street and giving him an education so that he”ll be able to fend for himself, instead of forever depending on the kindness of others. He”ll eventually develop into a responsible citizen capable of looking after himself and making a meaningful contribution to society, rather than continually depending on handouts. Imagine what that will do to his self-esteem.
That is the theory, anyway, but Ovidiu Rom”s MO does have a very successful model. That model is based on a programme called ?”Ready, Willing & Able”, a programme pioneered by the Doe Fund, a charity that rose up in response to New York”s homeless crisis in the 1980s. The Doe Fund focuses on equipping homeless, helpless people – people that society had given up on – with the tools to allow them to fend for themselves. Since its inception, the Doe Fund has given thousands of people new starts in life; its beneficiaries have had their lives turned around to the point that many are now respected members of their communities. It is this same model on which Ovidiu Rom”s ?”Gata, Dispus si Capabil” programme is based.
Established five years ago with seed funding from USAID, Ovidiu Rom”s beneficiaries are the poorest of Romania”s poorest people. So far it has helped dozens of families escape from hopelessness and impoverishment; it has brought people considered outcasts of society back into the fold; it has set up classrooms in local high schools for children who have been outside the education system for years; it has ensured hot lunches for hundreds of schoolchildren, and during the recent terrible flooding in the country”s north-east, Ovidiu Rom volunteers were among the first on hand to help the victims. In a sense though, Ovidiu Rom”s work has only just begun. Its task is mountainous, its vision perhaps overly ambitious, but it has made a start. The overwhelming generosity and help of the Halloween Ball”s many sponsors, donors and volunteers will enable Ovidiu Rom to spread its influence and impact the lives of more people. It is a force for good, and needs our support. So I look forward to seeing you at the People”s Palace on the 29th October; either at the Ball itself or at the party afterwards, as there are tickets left for the latter – call 315 8806 or visit www.ovid.ro for more details.
Andrew Begg is the editor of Vivid.