Outreach
 France (Seine-Saint-Denis)

A sponsor speaks

Anca Strachinaru

Anca Strachinaru, who has Romanian origins, is in charge of promoting the group's business units in the schools on the Veolia Campus, joined Veolia Environnement two years ago, after completing a training course. Very quickly, in association with the Veolia Environnement Foundation, she became a sponsor of the project set up in Montreuil (93) by the association Hors la Rue: the opening of a day welcome center for young Roma in danger in Ile-de-France.

Fact sheet

  • Identity : Hors la Rue
  • Place : Montreuil
  • Sponsor : Anca Strachinaru, Veolia Environnement
  • Foundation grant : 25 000 euros
    Selection Committee: January 26, 2010
Anca Strachinaru sponsor of the project of the association Hors la Rue: day welcome center for young Roma in danger in the Paris region.

What made you decide to become a sponsor of a project backed by the Foundation?

I've always been very interested in the activities of the associative world, especially in the integration of publics facing serious difficulty.
In the course of my post-graduate studies, I worked for example in several social integration projects for former prison inmates.

In 2008, looking for a company to do my study completion course, I discovered the projects of the Veolia Environnement Foundation, which I found fascinating, and which guided me towards my professional choice.I had the opportunity of being selected and hired at the end of the course.I then immediately contacted the Foundation, advising them that I was available to become a sponsor.My Romanian nationality obviously predisposed me to accompany a project linked to people of Romanian origin.

How did your meeting go with Hors la Rue?

My enthusiasm was immediate! I went to see them four or five times to prepare the grant application to the Foundation.My studies in sociology helped me grasp and understand the objectives of the association and their professional methods.Together, we analyzed the needs of the young persons to whom they reach out in terms of integration and accompaniment.It wasn't an easy task!You can't simply rise to the level of compassion, you have to understand the causes that propel these young persons into the street, and then act accordingly. Hors la Rue accompanies minors who are often in serious danger (victims of delinquency, prostitution networks, etc.), who have to be guided gently toward a world more suited to their age, by helping them build a life project (schooling, training, etc.).

I was impressed by the team's professionalism.Hors la Rue is developing a major activity upstream to identify the young persons who are ill treated and in danger.It collaborates with the Children's Court, the Educational Service in the Court, Children's Aid, the Minors' Brigade.This clearly proves its legitimacy with these institutions.
Over and above my sponsorship role, I offered them my services as a volunteer.

What types of service?

My ideal would be to help these young persons return to Romania with a sufficient baggage and status to help them integrate and build a proper adult life.

In order to facilitate this apprenticeship, my first proposal will be to set up French courses dispensed by the Romanian Students Association in Paris - of which I'm a member, in order to help them understand the cultural references.
Then, why not consider working alongside the Veolia Campus, and then with Veolia Eau in Romania? Or even, why not continue to develop more preventive projects in Romania? I believe that together, we can try out several alternatives.

So your involvement is going to become very serious?

Quite honestly, I feel that the energy and time that I have devoted are nothing in comparison with the task ahead! When I learned that the Veolia Environnement Foundation had decided to help the project, I was over the moon! I told myself "mission accomplished": at these times one has the feeling that one has succeeded in doing something to effect a small change in the destiny of these children.

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