The NGO Little People Romania has won first prize in Erste Foundation Award for Social Integration. The Romanian NGO's I am not afraid project came first among the 35 winning organizations from 12 CEE countries.

The project started in 2010 and provides psychological and social support for children diagnosed with cancer and their families. Back when the project began, 400 children had received cancer diagnoses and received no further support, leaving the children and their families without information to face cancer alone.

“They were left alone in a bleak world they couldn’t understand, felt sick but didn’t know why, could turn only to their parents, also emotionally affected,” reads the Erste Foundation's blog. Now, Little People Romania runs the program in all seven Romanian hospitals that offer full cancer treatment, providing information, playing games, telling stories and making hospital life and treatment less terrifying for the children. “Children become less afraid and, as the mascot of the project suggests, face their illness with the courage of little lions.”

Shajjad and Katie Rizvi, founders of Little People Romania, collected the Erste Foundation's Sea-Urchin Trophy (see picture) and EUR 40,000 in prize money at the winners gala in Vienna last night (June 27). In total, the Erste Foundation awarded EUR 616,000 in prize money, shared by the First Prize winner, Second Prize winner, 2 Third Prize winners, 26 Honorary Awards, 4 Special Prizes of the Jury, and 1 Practitioners’ Award.

Husband and wife team Shajjad and Katie Rizvi set up Little People Romania back in 2002 to work with children suffering from cancer. As well as the small but very dedicated and multinational team, Little People Romania has received support from numerous celebrities, including US super star Beyonce.

Erste Foundation currently controls 20.13 percent in the stock of Erste Group Bank AG and invests its share dividends in societies and social programs in Austria, Central and South Eastern Europe. The Foundation provides funding to partners, as well as investing directly in research, development and implementation of project under three areas: Social Development, Europe and Culture.

Find out more on the Little People Romania website.

Find out more about the Erste Foundation.

editor@romania-insider.com

photo source: the Erste Foundation