Previous Grants Romania 2009

Dignity and Respect. Rights for Breast Cancer Survivors.

Project Location: Cluj, Romania
Project Leader: Anca Jiglau-Labunet, Romanian Cancer Society (RCS)
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Advocacy

Project Description: The project proposed to change Romania’s disability legislation to include the right for breast cancer survivors who had undergone mastectomy to get free prostheses. This decision could benefit over 60,000 women in the first year alone if passed.  The project team built a coalition of committed individuals, including key members of parliament, to advocate for this policy change. Over 44,500 signatures were collected and 33 parliamentarians were convinced to support the policy change initiative. Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass in the most recent round of elections; however, it captured the attention of many high-level officials who have agreed to continue to advocate for this change.

Your Health You Decide!

Project Location: Constanta, Romania
Project Leader: Maria Frangeti, Women’s League of Constanta
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Awareness and Outreach

Project Description: This project focused on breast cancer outreach in the rural communities of Cogealac and Cobadin outside of Constanta. The goal of this project was to train volunteer health promoters to deliver breast self-awareness education sessions and increase early detection. In six months, the project team recruited and trained 13 volunteer health promoters, who reached 177 women and adolescents. The project team collaborated closely with the Women’s League Constanta and as part of the project’s sustainability plan the Women’s League has expanded to two additional rural communities, and continued to provide support to volunteers both in human resources and in sharing breast health materials that were developed or translated through the grant project, including the Komen BSA interactive tool. 

Together for a Better Life!

Project Location: Constanta, Romania
Project Leaders: Ady and Luminita Lupascu, Partners in Progress Association
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Support for Breast Cancer Survivors

Project Description: Based initially on their own need for support, Luminita Lupascu and her husband Ady started a support group with a few friends through their organization, Partners in Progress when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Komen community grant “Together for a Better Life” enabled them to train 25 new facilitators and expand their support group services to new communities, enabling the group to support over 240 women since its inception.   The project team also collaborated with Global Initiative and Komen teams to develop a guide for support group facilitators that is now widely used in Romania.  Support groups have now formed in three cities with more than 70 survivors participating in these groups. In addition, Partners in Progress, which is the lead Global Initiative partner in Constanta, has gone on to secure support (www.tarusmedia.ro/bms.html)  from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to provide broad cancer support to their community with the help of skills and experience gained through the Global Initiative.

STOP Breast Cancer

Project Location: Cluj, Romania
Project Leader: Lucia Alb, Women Solidarity
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Awareness and Outreach

Project Description: The STOP breast cancer project team recruited and trained11 volunteers to facilitate information sessions about breast cancer in the rural areas of Aghires and Fizesul Gherlei. These 11 volunteers informed over 900 women about breast self-awareness and breast cancer early detection. The demand for this breast cancer education is high and the project continues in Floresti village and other villages near Cluj.

Together – Support Groups for Breast Cancer Survivors

Project Location: Bucharest, Romania
Project Leader: Livia Aninosanu and Daniela Martis, Partnership for Equality Center
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Support for Breast Cancer Survivors; Awareness and Outreach

Project Description: This project combined support for breast cancer survivors with awareness and outreach in Bucharest. The group began by using two focus groups to identify needs of survivors in their communities to better target their project to these needs. Out of these focus groups, two support groups were formed and awareness materials for breast cancer survivors and their families were created and distributed in medical information sessions, oncology centers, and other key locations. The project team reached over 1,500 people with outreach materials and recruited 16 breast cancer survivors to actively participate in support groups. Partnership for Equality Center continues to run these support groups with the generous help of volunteers.

Inform your Health

Project Location: Bucharest, Romania
Project Leader: Liliana Pagu, Romanian Women’s Association (RWA)
Project Year: 2009
Focus Area: Awareness and Outreach

Project Description: This project focused on reaching women ages 40-59 with breast cancer information. The project team collaborated with awareness projects in other cities to develop effective outreach materials and was able to train 25 volunteer educators who reached 115 women through information sessions. This project also convened business managers from various industries in an attempt to institutionalize breast cancer awareness programs and information in the workplace. The team recruited 20 managers to attend a roundtable discussion about breast cancer, and seven of these managers agreed to facilitate information sessions in their respective workplaces.  With the ongoing support of the Romanian Women’s Association, breast cancer information sessions continue in Bucharest and the surrounding areas.