Real changes in a community are built on a foundation of trust and a long-term partnership. In Belin commune, close collaboration with the Amfiteatru Foundation has proven that a constant presence on the ground creates sustainable opportunities for all generations.
To understand the path of this partnership, we spoke with the mayor of Belin commune, Mr. Alexandru Racolța, who, within the framework of current projects, acts as the local organizer. He talked about the collaboration with the Amfiteatru Foundation, which, ever since the first projects, has anchored its interventions directly in the people’s needs. Between 2018 and 2021, this materialized in the renovation of 50 severely dilapidated homes, the modernization of the community center, and the provision of the first vocational training courses, bringing locals recognized diplomas and support to find better-paying jobs.
Currently, this continuity is reflected in two major programs running in parallel. On the educational side, the project “School makes us better!” supports over 200 Romani students from the “Bölöni Farkas Sándor” Gymnasium School, along with their parents. The children benefit daily from tutoring in Romanian, Mathematics, and ICT, psychological counseling, material support, as well as financial literacy, sports, and cultural workshops.
The community’s openness to these activities was visible from the very beginning. “Everyone agreed. When we first identified the children, some parents even asked: ‘Why isn’t my child on the list?‘” says the mayor. However, the biggest stake at the local level remains supporting students to continue their high school education, a path hindered by the 35-kilometer distance to the nearest town. To this end, the project team works closely with families to support the children’s education, and their efforts are already showing results in the community: “I almost never had young people graduate with a high school diploma, just a single kid. Well, now I have 4. They continued school, took the baccalaureate exam, and passed it, some even with a score of 8.60. They aren’t slow. The problem is the commute. Kids will study if you stand by them and take care of them. They have faith and desire.“
At the same time, employment-focused projects offer unemployed youth vocational training courses in in-demand trades, such as HoReCa, retail, masonry, or landscaping. Participants obtain a nationally recognized qualification and a financial subsidy upon completing their exams, being directly connected with potential employers. Regarding the youth’s interest in these training programs, Mayor Alexandru Racolța explains: “Everyone is interested in a diploma. Automatically, when they go somewhere, they have an advantage because they are qualified and can show their recognized diploma. They warmly welcome the courses, but there’s also the interest in getting that allowance at the end. That’s an added incentive, too.”
It can be said that the evolution over recent years has brought a visible change in mentality in Belin. If in the past courses were viewed with reservation, today locals come of their own accord to inquire about new training sessions. And the effects don’t stop only with those who attended the courses; the entire community benefits from this openness, with the transformation reflecting in the commune’s daily life: “People’s mentality has changed. Now, after a longer period, they come and ask us when we’re organizing more courses. Once they went out there qualified, abroad or anywhere in the country, and found a job, the results automatically show in their standing within the locality. They’ve invested in their homes, in their belongings. I can’t say I have a poor community, I have a tightly knit community,” concludes the mayor.