Interviews

,,The motto of the Association is what Aura believed in, quoted by Mahatma Gandhi: «Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important to do that thing». If each of us would do our duty where we are, put our shoulders to the work and take responsibility, the scenario we would be in today would be completely different. Big changes happen step by step, but that’s why it’s important to start!” (Mariana Ciucă, president of the Aura Ion Association)

The Aura Ion Association was founded in 2015 as a symbol of involvement, of the ambition that it is possible. It bears the name of the medical staff whose life was ended in a plane crash in the Apuseni Mountains, an accident that left many question marks, but which gave birth to the desire to help and support those in need. Thus, through the started projects, the Association unites people from all social categories and inspires them to develop as individuals and leaders in the service of humanity.

,,We see our organization as part of a common effort to bring people together to solve community problems related to health, poverty and education”. The association summarizes projects through which it supports and improves the school infrastructure, ensuring resources both at the school level and at the community level, supporting the needs of vulnerable families or providing access to medical services, with the involvement of volunteers.

The biggest challenge is the mentality of people, that of waiting for something to happen, that in which ,,it is right”, in which others must do, others are responsible for the helplessness in which everyone is, but I have met these people who do not they had the ambition to move, to try, at least, to change something in the environment in which they find themselves. The expectation that «it goes like this» has always shown us that it does not. It takes this mindset change the first time to start doing. We all see that they are not, that we don’t have it, that it is needed, but what did you do in your small town to make it better?

The joy of being able to make a difference. The joy that we get involved and that others get involved too. The joy of those we reach. We managed to support over 10,000 children, offer 6,000 schoolbags and 7,000 gifts with Smiles, we donated 13,000 pieces of furniture to 70 partner educational units, over 5,000 books donated to schools, 40,000 cleaning and hygiene products , we completely renovated the classrooms of a rural school, we set up the socializing and playing space, but also the gardens of 6 rural schools, 600 computer systems, which helped in the midst of the pandemic so that the students did not interrupt their learning, all totaling over 20,000 hours of volunteering. What we chose to do is proof that it can be done, and our road partners have stayed with us because they also want to get involved. It is important that we all do this!

I want to find ways to identify resources. I have the know-how, I have the vision, but I lack help as a human resource. I want to and I can do it, but sometimes as a member of an NGO, you get tired of doing it all. And here I want to find the resources that help us to have greater visibility, to attract people who believe in our vision and mission, to communicate more about what we do, to be more efficient in the time I dedicate, beyond from my day job, the association. This exchange of information, of good practices, helps us to look at what we can do better, what we can improve.