Our blog turns 10! 10 years, 10 choices, no regrets!
“Whether you are at home or abroad, talk to the world about you” – our motto – and we start talking with the world about what we are doing here, home away from home!
It all started simply, like all great things usually start… It started with a group of women, a vision, faith, dedication and a “pinch” of luck – the luck, the blessing and the opportunity of living in a country that takes pride in supporting diversity and multiculturalism.
“Rocateach” originated from my belief that Romanian kids need to understand, learn, and treasure their heritage, and it became possible, thanks to the Government of Canada, through the International Language Program, which operates under the school boards.
Rocateach started in 2006 and, throughout the years, offered a wide range of programs designed for kids interested in learning about their parents’ language, traditions, and culture. When the 2.5 hours offered by the Canadian Government no longer seemed sufficient, with the help of amazing women, I began to get creative and involve community members as well.
The year 2017 marked two significant celebrations: 150 years for Canada and our first ever event that brought over 600 Romanians under one roof – Romania, O iubire fixa. We celebrate life and those who, with courage and determination, go through it, here – Acasa departe de casa!
In the same year, we decided to change the name of our NFP from Rocateach to Arts4People Movement, as we realized that our initial scope was expanding so rapidly.
It’s been said that the change in you can drive the change in many – and it is true. My dream of having more and more kids involved mobilized the people around me. Through my community activities, I established connections within the community at large, mobilizing an entire team of volunteer mothers, local business sponsors, artists, and anyone and everyone who came up with an idea. My work was able to inspire many of us and bring together not just a great group, but a team spirit around me. Most of us experienced many difficulties being raised in a communist country, and during our childhood and youth, some of which related to a pervasive feeling of “otherness” or simply feeling like a square peg in a round hole, contributed to our ability to accept others without judgment. Because of this weakness turned strength, I found it easy to gain rapport with the community and earn their trust. Based on how people characterized me, one of my strengths is the ability to build and create strong relationships, and I strive to nurture important relationships in my life.
I value:
ACCEPTANCE
COMPASSION
COOPERATION
FAMILY
GENEROSTY
HONESTY
KINDNESS
LOYALTY
RESPECT
TRUST
Why this 10? Because I am truly grateful for how blessed I am to have so many amazing friends in my life, and I try to return the favour by being the best friend I can be.
I do not think that there is always a solution, but I do believe that there is always a way to move forward. When I approach a new challenge, I am just as nervous as anyone else, but I always find the ability to push through and achieve my goals. I believe the drive to overcome my fears and achieve my goals is firmly rooted in my personal values, which have been shaped by my past life and experiences. At the core, I believe that most people are altruistic. Despite numerous sociological experiments that suggest otherwise, I believe that, given a choice, most people would prefer to help others. We are social beings, and as such, we need others not just for survival but also for essential needs such as love, acceptance, and compassion. I’m a firm believer in treating everyone equally regardless of age, gender, culture and social status. Treat others the way you want to be treated. When I think of a person who might transmit an important belief of me, I think of my parents. I have been able to demonstrate honesty, respect and privacy. I have maintained relationships with integrity, embraced diversity, encouraged community involvement and have honoured partnerships. I am a Gen-X’er, through and through. I thrive on diversity. I enjoy being challenged, and I thrive on responsibility and creative input. Did I say my sign is Sagittarius?
I believe in education and continuous development; therefore, initially, when we chose the name of the organization, we incorporated both: RO- Romania, CA- Canada, and Teach – education/continuous development.
We have a name; we have a motto, and here are our mantras! Ten things we will never want to do differently because everything we do, we do from the heart, and regrets simply do not exist!
- We choose to take action – we helped families that were going through difficult situations (kids who lost their parents were helped to keep a normal course of life, we sent humanitarian help for orphanages in Romania, we helped single old Romanian people, we helped parents make the best choices for the education of their kids). We help women who, due to unforeseen circumstances they are living in shelters.
- We focus on results and achievement – we organize classes to help kids prepare for math competitions like Canadian Math Kangaroo and Caribou Math. We are offering prizes to kids who come in the top 3 positions in these contests. We keep helping and promoting achievement.
- We have a burning passion for our traditions – we organized a dance club for kids who wish to learn Romanian traditional dancing –its name is HORA – Heritage of Romanian Association. Kids enrolled in HORA represent Romania in multicultural contests and Romanian events. We promote our culture and traditions to Canadians and try to bring a piece of our country here.
- We are who we are – although we chose to live in Canada we strive to keep our traditions and culture alive in the hearts of our kids. We love teaching them about our history, our traditions, and our national costume. Every year, on June 24, we participate in the international event –IA Day, and we organize activities in parks or museums where we display the beauty of our national costume in the natural beauty of Canada.
- We nurture kids personal growth – Kids Club is focusing on motivating kids to want to discover their roots more and more. Each activity brings a bit of Romania closer to our kids and it makes learning fun and exciting. Through games, they get excited and immensely inspired.
- We celebrate Canadian history – it became a tradition for us to celebrate the International Kids Day by organizing a trip to a park or a museum – the trip may last up to 3 days. This event is 100% financed by the Romanian community. The funds are used to cover kids’ participation in the programs offered by the Canadian museums and our kids learn a lot about Canadian tradition and culture.
- We never endlessly wait for tomorrow to come – our kids start learning a second language in school as early as 4 years old through the International Language Program. We understand the importance of multilingualism and this is why many of the kids in our community are also successful in French immersion programs. We like to believe that their comfort in learning another language is owed to the fact that they joined ILP early in their lives.
- We never waste time when it is about helping: On March 8, every year, during International Women’s Day, we are part of a donation movement. We have been fundraising for Women for Women International, the Breast Cancer Foundation, YWCA, Stella’s Place, Shifra Home or any other agency that supports women and children.
- We choose to dream to be kids again: We bring movies and artists from Romania who are hosting puppet shows for both Romanian and Canadian kids. These shows usually take place in Public Libraries, and kids from the entire community are welcome to come.
- We choose to keep moving forward: with the hope that we leave behind us a strong generation of Romanian-Canadian kids. A generation of kids who will always be grateful for the country they live in, but will never forget who they are and where they are coming from.
Now, as we celebrate ten years, we realize that we have chosen to make a difference in children’s lives and help families understand that together, we are a community, distinct from all other communities in Canada. Each community is unique, and this makes Canada a wonderful place to live – the fact that here we learn that even though we are all different, in fact, we are all the same – Canadians. Taking pride in our heritage but loving the country that let us be who we are.
Every year, we hold one meeting with the board, where we step back and plan for another adventure, always guided by these 10 key decisions. Because everything we do is through the eyes of a child, we are happy people. We cultivate optimism in everything we do with them, savouring life’s little pleasures and nurturing loving relationships, just as every family will do with their children.
Our journey was not a smooth one, because nothing I smooth in life and at times we thought we would not be able to make it happen, but I always reminded them one of Nelson Mandela’s quotes that through time became our mantra – “it always seems impossible until it’s done,” which is about volunteering and community involvement.
Happy birthday! Look no further than our 2026 – 20 years celebration!
