Horia Tecău: „I want all children to have the chance to reach their true potential, as I did”

BUCHAREST, February 3, 2022 - The UNICEF’s National Ambassador Horia Tecău, together with the UNICEF Deputy Representative in Romania, Gabriel Vockel, visited on Wednesday the Integrated Community Center in Colonești commune, Bacău county, part of the Romania for every child initiative. The triple grand slam champion visited also children from Colonești, beneficiaries of UNICEF services, whose stories were presented in 2021 in the organization's campaigns. 

"I was deeply moved to meet the wonderful children supported through UNICEF projects. Like millions of children in Romania, they need care and support services. I want all children to have the chance to reach their true potential, as I did. I want a Romania for every child", said Horia Tecău. 

On this occasion, the Romanian tennis player and the UNICEF team also delivered personal protective equipment for the team of local professionals from Colonești - masks, gowns and gloves - to provide social workers with protection against Sars-Cov2, while allowing them to carry out activity in support of children. The initiative is part of the activity started by UNICEF in December 2021, when four hospitals in Bucharest received thousands of protective equipment. Other such materials have reached Bacău, Moinești, and Corbasca, with the total value of deliveries in recent weeks reaching $ 273,000. 

"Almost 42% of Romanian children continue to be affected by poverty or social exclusion. Vulnerable children have reduced access to essential quality services, can be discriminated against and marginalized, and are very exposed to situations of violence, the risk of separation from family and being placed in alternative care services or special schools. Romania for Every Child, an initiative recently launched by UNICEF, will contribute to the social inclusion of vulnerable children through integrated, quality, equitable and coordinated community and specialized services. We are pleased to have the support of National Ambassador Horia Tecău, whom we thank once again", said Gabriel Vockel, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Romania. 

The initiative “Romania for every child. Ensuring social inclusion - breaking the vicious circle of exclusion in the case of the most vulnerable children in Romania” is a project developed by UNICEF in Romania in partnership with Bacău County Council, Bacău General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, Bacău Public Health Directorate, Moinești, Bacău, Colonești, Corbasca and Brașov mayoralities, Bacău Social Assistance Directorate, Brașov Social Assistance Directorate and Moinești Social Assistance Directorate, and implemented between June 2021-December 2023. 

Its total value is over 5.1 million euros, of which a grant of 4.2 million euros is provided by Norway through the Norway Grants under the Local Development Program administered by the Romanian Social Development Fund. Its aim is to contribute to the social inclusion of all children and adolescents, especially the vulnerable, through quality, fair and coordinated health, education and child protection services (integrated community and specialist services) and protective social norms.