Olga Hamagi, president of P.A.V.E.L. tells us about the situation in Romania and the activities of the parent organisation in that country.

Since the events of 1989-1990, many things have changed in Rumania, in a positive as well as in a negative way. Indeed, in Rumania, in this country where the suffocation of conscience has broken all spirit of enterprise and sterilised social life, the establishment of associations is a sign of renewal that is felt throughout he entire society. 

Paediatric oncology is on a low level because the country is isolated and there is a lack of information and experience and an enormous shortage of medicines and medical equipment. There are no facilities for bone marrow transplants, and there are no instruments for analyses. The hygienic, sanitary and nutritional circumstances are bad and the standard of living is extremely low. Therefore children with cancer in Rumania don't have the same chance for cure as children in better-equipped countries in the West.

To fight this situation and to rectify the deficiencies, a group of brave parents founded a small non-governmental organisation for children with cancer. After a year of preparations where they defied the many and complex administrative obstacles, on May 10, 1996 the young group of leaders succeeded to legalise the association P.A.V.E.L. (Primind Ajutor Viata Este Luminoasa). P.A.V.E.L. has held three general assemblies ever since. By a vote of confidence, the board was encouraged for the work it has to accomplish.
P.A.V.E.L. is a humanitarian association, of private law, non-profit, non-governmental and independent of private or governmental institutions. Its purpose is to offer moral, material and juridical help to the parents of children with cancer.

The association wants to create a centre of welcome where parents can:
· meet each other and some competent people in order to exchange experiences and find useful information, and moral, emotional and spiritual support;
· have access to all necessary information (medical, legal, etc.)
· can be helped in their steps (administrative, constitution of files, etc.) and if necessary in writing letters in foreign languages (for demand of medicines, treatments, etc.)
In order to answer the urgent needs, the association wants to:
· organise a base with the hospitable services, some pharmaceutical laboratories and some humanitarian associations concerned with the treatment of these illnesses;
· write and publish information booklets for parents on every illness, the means of treatment and other useful information; 
· obtain communication facilities to stay in constant contact with other countries;

For this purpose, the association must organise a secretariat that can:
· put the computers means on foot permitting some realisations;
· create and manage a data bank that gives free access to all these information;
· facilitate the contact of the parents with the authorities concerned or the susceptible organisations of them come in helps that it is in Romania or abroad.

Results already obtained by the P.A.V.E.L. association:

Thanks to the support of several organisations and friends of France, it obtained the necessary medicines for the emergency treatment of serious cases for children and for the hospitals and could allow the treatment of a child in France and sustain the activities of the Association. Thanks to the support of the foundation St. Vincent of Paul it assured a practice of a month for one Romanian paediatric physician, in a hospital in Paris. Another project with the association Raul Follereau helps two departments of paediatric oncology. Our friends in France form a new association, P.A.V.E.L.- France, for a more efficient support.

We received big support from Holland, from the Foundation "Kinderen in Nood". It organised four big transports with personal estates for hospitals, other medical materials, food and a lot of other things useful for parents. It bought in Bucharest a five-room apartment. This is now the office of P.A.V.E.L. and a Parents' House where parents who come to Bucharest with their children for treatment can meet and stay during the night. This Dutch foundation helped to buy medicines and a new computer.

In Romania, we received a big donation from the AIDRom association, which allowed us to publish the first four medical booklets (translated from English, with the kind permission of BACUP foundation). Also we received some other donations, which helped us to organise in the hospitals feasts for Christmas and Easter. We want to encourage the contacts with other movements and associations of the same kind, with some specialised or competent people who could bring us the support of their experience or of their relations.
On the other hand, we are always trying to find medical material, which could improve the conditions of activity of the hospitals, as well as some specific medicines for special cases. Finally, a donation is always welcome.

Chairman of the P.A.V.E.L. association,
Mrs. Olga Rodica Halmagi
Sos.Mihai Bravu 311-313 ,bl.SB 1 ,sc.1,ap.1,sector 3,Bucharest
Romania
Tel(fax) + 40 -1- 350 28 85
e-mail : pavel@dial.kappa.ro