Water4Life visits Romania (June 13th – June 21st)
On June 13th Water4Life has visited Romania for the first time. The main course of this trip was to explore Romania and to get knowledge about the areas with lack of safe drinking water in Romania. Dragos Trandafir, our Romanian Ambassador has organized several meetings which were for a very good use of Water4Life.
Dragos Trandafir
On Monday June 15th we visited the waterfair ”ExpoApa”. We have met several interesting companies which can be a good cooperation with Water4Life.
We met professor Ioan Bica from University ”Hidrotechnica Bucuresti” who was willing to help us promote Water4life by giving us a small spot to expose our banner. This banner was created in Romanian for the citizens to get acquaintance of the Water4Life Romania project. Therefore we also got a stand for the exhibition of the water unit.This provided people knowledge about the operation of the water unit.
Water4Life stand
Afterwards we were invited to join a conference organized by ”APA NOVA”. A company in cooperation with the ”Hidrotechnical University”.
On the last day of ”ExpoApa” we were invited by NWP (Netherlands Water Partnership) by Ioana Dobrescu, Special Adviser Romania, to join a pitch presentation. This was organized by ”WetSkills”, which is in cooperation with YWP (Young Water Professional) and NWP. International students from universities of different countries with water-related projects presented their project ideas related to water issues applied in Romania.
Alex Vrinzen, president Water4Life, was invited to take part of the jury team together with Mr. Matthijs van Bonzel (Ambassador of the Netherlands in Romania) and other experts from different international water companies.
Presentation international students
Later on the pro-dean of Hydraulic and Environment Engineering from University ”Politehnica Bucuresti”, prof. Diana Robescu asked to join her at the University to present Water4life to her and her husband, prof. Dan Robescu.
The meeting was successful and they wanted to support our mission in Romania and were willing to help with the promotion of Water4Life . Among other – to involve students to the project.
In the Afternoon we had a meeting at the U.S Embassy in Romania with Stephanie Boscaino, Economic Officer, and Gabriela Paleru, Economic Specialist.
We presented the project Water4life worldwide and the mission for Romania. As result the department was willing to support us, by promoting Water4Life in Romania and to link us to specialists.
On June 18th we had a meeting with Ioan Bica, Dean of ”Faculty of Hidrotechnics Bucharest”, who we had met at the waterfair ”ExpoApa”.
We discussed many things related to Water4life,ingeneral and the pilot projects. The result was that the professor wanted to give us support and so he would be available for cooperation with Water4Life.
Demonstrating waterpurifier
At night we have met the Royal Dot founders, Vlad Pirvu (designer for W4L), Daniel Costache and Dan Deaconu, who are music and videos producers . Sjef Jansen, ambassador of Water4Life joined the meeting too. We discussed our possibilities to create a good and emotional movie presentation for the Romania project to have it prepared for the 12.5 years conference on 2nd October.
On June 19th we had a meeting with the Netherlands- Romanian Chamber of Commerce, communications Manager, Anna Heijker.
She suggested us to become members for NRCC so they can promote our NGO very good and link us with Dutch – Romanian companies.
On June 20th we had a meeting with Peter Oostveen, specialist of Romania. We had an interesting meeting with Peter. He had given us advice about how to get a good cooperation for W4L for the Romania project in Vatra Moldovitei. He also had given us advice where to address exactly to establish a successful project.
We established an agreement between him and Water4Life for an cooperation.
Poverty in Romania
Together with foundation SMHO, which has been working for a long time in Romania, Water4Life is going to visit Romania for the second time in July. We are going to the northern part of Romania to see if we can be able to help the people that have a lack on safe drinking water.
3-7-2015
By Dragos Trandafir, Aggy Vrinzen and Naomi Vrinzen