Investing in solar panels for the AMURTEL Family children’s home in Romania, will ensure greater long term sustainability both financially and ecologically, providing safe shelter and loving care to the 12 children that are taken out of situations of abuse and neglect, like Razvan. Razvan came to AMURTEL Family two years ago, after being abandoned by his mother when a baby and left in a state institution, then spending a couple of years in foster care, and then in placement with an abusive uncle. He needs a stable home, good food, psychological support, and help to catch up academically and develop his talents like tennis and gymnastics. He is learning better habits and life skills with the help of Mirela, a very motherly, wise and balanced caregiver that he feels close to. As the AMURTEL Family has three large buildings, with 5 refrigerators, 2 washing machines, many computers and other devices, its monthly energy costs are very high. The home consumes an average of about 36000 Kw monthly. The bills often average between 300-500 euros per month – close to 5000 annually. However, this winter, the prices of electricity are increasing, and soon may even double. Investing 10,000 euros in solar panels will significantly reduce both monthly running costs as well as our ecological footprint, an aspect important for modelling Neohumanist ecological outlook. The investment will already pay for itself in just a couple of years. We will also be able to become a “prosumer” which means that we will be able to receive compensation for the extra energy we feed into the grid, which will further lower our costs during periods when there is less solar energy available. 

Project History *

The AMURTEL Family is a small family style residential home in the rural village of Panatau, Buzau county, founded in 1995 that is providing a loving alternative to twelve children needing safe care because of neglect or abuse. A first generation of sixteen children grew up in the home and now are adults. At this moment, there are twelve children placed in the care of AMURTEL Family by the Child Protection Department of Buzau. These are children removed from situations of abuse or neglect in their biological families and placed into our care for protection, healing and stability. In addition, next door to the home, we have created a residence for two adults with disabilities that grew up in the first generation of children in care. The children attend the nearby public school, play on sports teams, have friends in the neighborhood and are well integrated into community life. The adults with disabilities are also integrated into the community activities.