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Transforming Lives | REF Romania Wraps Up Integrated Support ...

Transforming Lives | REF Romania Wraps Up Integrated Support Programme for Roma Refugees from Ukraine

The Roma Education Fund (REF) Romania, in partnership with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Sector 2 (DGASPC), organized on November 20 the closing conference of the project “One-Stop-Shop Centre for Vulnerable Migrants from Ukraine.” Implemented over a three-year period, the project has provided essential support to vulnerable refugees, particularly those of Roma ethnicity, developing an innovative model of social, educational, and community intervention.

“Our work with Roma children who fled the war in Ukraine has shown us that resilience education is essential and requires the involvement of everyone. We will carry these lessons forward into Roma communities in Romania, together with partners such as the Sector 2 Municipality”, Ciprian NECULA, Executive President of REF.

The OSS Centre project is dedicated to support Roma refugees from Ukraine and is financed through grants from the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB)’s Migrant and Refugee Fund. Established by the CEB in 2015, this trust fund has been used to help the Bank’s member states host and integrate migrants and refugees throughout Europe.

“The OSS project is a prime example of the power of collaboration in challenging environments. Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, REF responded to the urgent needs of displaced persons from Ukraine, particularly the vulnerable children. The integrated support they delivered has been key to ensure that children benefitted from continued education, while adults would be better equipped for the job market in Romania. The CEB is proud to have financed this important project through our Migrant and Refugee Fund.” Wassila Dridi, CEB Country Manager for Romania.

The event brought together representatives of embassies, civil society, public institutions, and project partners. During the event, the Foundation’s team launched the storybook The Little Postwoman and the Bag of Dreams, written by Alexandru Zamfir together with several children who benefit from the centre’s services, and illustrated by Daniela Olaru.

“The editorial project emerged from the creative workshops held with the children, which included age-adapted literary writing sessions as well as drawing and painting workshops. We collected their stories and illustrations, and brought all together in a book where the intersectional dimension played a key role, aiming to weave the materials gathered during the workshops into a narrative accessible to both children and adults. Our goal was for all those who contributed to the book to recognize themselves in its pages and, at the same time, to raise awareness among the wider public through the thoughts, experiences, emotions, and images shared by the children.” – Alexandru Zamfir, author and Programme Coordinator, REF Romania

One-Stop-Shop was designed as a safe and inclusive space for children, women, and refugee families, providing access to education, psychological counselling, social assistance, and training programmes. Throughout its implementation, the centre operated in three locations: 60 Vaselor street; the REF & Basarabia Centre (temporary, in 2025); and, starting in October 2025, the new space in Pantelimon offered by the Sector 2 Municipality, which became a project partner.

“Closing the OSS project does not mark the end of the story. For us, the most important results are not the numbers, but the children, young people, and Roma refugee families who have shown us day by day what it means to reinvent yourself, to rebuild your life in a new country, learn a new language, find the courage to move forward, and create a new community you can belong to. OSS became exactly that: a community, a ‘village’ that grows with and supports children and families who have experienced unimaginable hardships. The true impact of this project lies not in statistics, but in the rewritten stories of these children and their families”, Monica Călin, Programme Director REF Romania.

The project consistently promoted dignity, inclusion, and equal opportunities, offering beneficiaries real chances for personal and professional reconstruction. The centre implemented a multidimensional approach, integrating:

Educational support, like homework assistance, Romanian and Ukrainian language classes, pedagogical support, distribution of 171 fully equipped schoolbags, tablets, and school supplies, €200 educational vouchers per year.
Personal and socio-emotional development, like theatre workshops, arts and crafts, creative writing, painting; individual and group psycho-social counselling sessions.
Material support – daily meals, transport, 5,931 social vouchers, 113 clothing vouchers, clothing, food, and essential goods.
Digital skills training through the strategic partnership with Accenture Romania. Beneficiaries participated in the Digital Skills Academy, studying IT, programming, algorithmic thinking, AI, and robotics. Approximately 100 children and young people were trained in digital skills.
Women’s programmes – accredited professional make-up courses providing refugee mothers and young women with training opportunities, financial autonomy, and reconnection with their creative potential.
Educational and recreational camps like summer camps and excursions to museums, the botanical garden, farms, and mountain camps.

These activities fostered curiosity, cooperation, and self-esteem, offering children a safe and motivating environment to learn and grow.

“This project represented a profoundly transformational process, built on emotion, authenticity, and real encounters, far beyond the framework of a traditional intervention. Beyond planned activities, the lived experience of beneficiaries and staff generated lasting change with visible community impact. Over time, the initiative evolved into a recognised, replicable intervention model and a genuine example of good practice. The involvement of institutions, especially DGASPC, who have taken over and integrated part of the activities confirms the relevance and value of this initiative, as well as its potential to inspire new directions and collaborations in the social sector”, Alin BANU, former director Aresel NGO, one of the partners in the project.

Over its three years of implementation, the project had a significant impact:
278 children supported; over 124 families assisted; 1,602 counselling sessions (individual and group); approximately 6,917 educational sessions (pedagogy, Romanian language, English language); 257 beneficiaries in summer camps (three editions); 171 educational packages distributed; almost 100 children and young people trained in IT.

One-Stop-Shop Centre was more than a centre. It was a refuge, a space of healing, education, and hope for hundreds of Roma refugee children and families from Ukraine. Its legacy continues through the relationships built, the skills acquired, and the collaborative models developed. This experience demonstrates that solidarity, education, and authentic partnerships can rebuild lives and open new paths for people in vulnerable situations.