Banca Transilvania, Conservation Carpathia Foundation and Casa Buna Association are building a day center, Casa Buna, in Nucsoara (Arges County) to give children in the area a better future. It will be a place where, each year, about 200 children from rural communities will have access to education.

With community support and environmentally friendly initiatives, the project partners aim to help improve residents’ lives and conserve the ecosystem in the Fagaras Mountains area.

At Casa Buna, children will be able to study for school, have a hot meal and internet access, play sports and learn about nature and local history. They will also receive tutoring as well as medical check-ups.

Statements:

• Barbara Promberger, Executive Director, Conservation Carpathia Foundation: "We firmly believe that building sustainable communities takes partners who share the same values and want to be part of projects that benefit both people and the environment. We are one of the leading nature conservation organizations in Romania, and our efforts have consistently focused on protecting the Fagaras Mountains. But for a sustainable future for this mountain range, unique in Europe, we need generations of educated young people with access to quality education — people who can work with us to build the communities of the future."
  
  
• Ömer Tetik, CEO, Banca Transilvania: "What we are doing now in Nucsoara is a first step, and we are glad to lend a hand to a group of big-hearted people who are making the world around them better. The trust that Romanians place in us compels us to do everything we can to make Romania the place we want it to be — a country where we care for the vulnerable and where respect for nature goes hand in hand with economic development. Congratulations, Conservation Carpathia Foundation, for all you have achieved so far; you are a model of sustainable development!"
  
  

• Valeriu Nicolae, Founder, Casa Buna Association: "Casa Buna in Nucsoara will help thousands of children in rural areas. By building our own center, we want to be closer to the community we are part of and to help where it is needed. Nucsoara is a wonderful place, with a beauty that wins you over, but unfortunately it faces the same problems as most small mountain villages. Hundreds of hectares of forest were destroyed in the past. A rapidly ageing population, lack of infrastructure, the quality of education — especially during the pandemic — lack of jobs and access to quality healthcare are all serious problems."

Banca Transilvania, Casa Buna Association and Conservation Carpathia Foundation

About Banca Transilvania: Banca Transilvania is the largest bank in Romania. With 27 years in business, BT has over 18% market share, 3.2 million customers, 3 business lines, a team of over 9,000 people, state-of-the-art online banking solutions and 500 branches in 180 locations. It is one of the most valuable Romanian brands, valued at 376 million euro, according to Brand Finance (2021). Beyond banking, Banca Transilvania aims to have a positive impact in Romania — for people, business and the environment. www.bancatransilvania.ro

About Conservation Carpathia Foundation: The Conservation Carpathia Foundation project began with a priority focus on protecting forests and alpine pastures in the eastern Fagaras Mountains, and since 2012 the foundation has also been involved in restoring degraded areas. From 2009 to the present, the project has saved from logging more than 25,400 hectares of forests and alpine pastures in the south-eastern Carpathians, where it has initiated ecological restoration work and put in place protection measures for both forests and wildlife, all for the benefit of local communities. The FCC project is unique in Romania and is one of the most important conservation initiatives in Europe. www.carpathia.org

About Casa Buna Association: For more than 12 years, Valeriu Nicolae, together with a group of volunteers, has been working with children from the most vulnerable area in Bucharest, Ferentari. Their results have shown that it is possible to change children’s lives by helping develop their educational, creative, sports and vocational skills. The association’s vision is to build a network of Casa Buna centers across the country, to help thousands of children. www.casabuna.ro