AMURTEL Romania: 30 Years of care, education, and hope for the children of Buzău County

For three decades, the AMURTEL Romania Aid Association has shown that change begins with people who choose to stand by the most vulnerable. In Buzău County, AMURTEL has become a benchmark of social involvement, offering children who have been through difficult experiences not just a roof over their heads, but the chance at a normal childhood and a future built on trust.

A Home That Means Family

The “Familia AMURTEL” Family-Type Residential Center in Pănătău is today home to children who have known abandonment, neglect, or the lack of a safe environment. Here, every child receives permanent care, education, emotional support, access to medical and psychological services, as well as numerous activities that help them develop in a balanced way.

AMURTEL’s mission, however, goes beyond the boundaries of a residential center. The organization invests constantly in the children’s personal development, their education, and their preparation for an independent life.

Programs That Change Destinies

At AMURTEL, we believe every child needs much more than a roof over their head. The children who come into our care have, most often, been through difficult experiences, and our first goal is for them to feel they’ve come home — to a place where they are loved, protected, listened to, and encouraged to discover their potential.

Every day, we make sure they have warm, nourishing meals, clothing, school supplies, medical care, and all the conditions needed to grow up in a safe and stable environment. At the same time, we invest in their development through programs tailored to each child’s needs and talents.

Children take part in:

• academic recovery and school support;
• sports, artistic, and recreational activities;
• courses and activities that develop their passions and skills;
• educational and personal-development camps;
• counseling and psychological therapies, essential for healing trauma and emotional development;
• volunteering activities and community involvement;
• programs for developing independent-living skills.

One of the most beloved projects is the annual camp organized together with Outward Bound Romania, where children take part in adventure and outdoor survival activities. There they learn about courage, responsibility, teamwork, resilience, and self-confidence — experiences that help them push past their limits and look at the future with greater confidence.

Educational support also plays an essential role. We want every child to go to school with joy, to learn, to discover their passions, and to continue their studies all the way through the high school and university they want. We believe education is the surest path to independence and a dignified life.

Beyond the work carried out in the residential center, AMURTEL also develops projects dedicated to the community in Buzău County, helping prevent school dropout, supporting children from vulnerable families, and increasing their access to education, personal development, and equal opportunities.

More Than Social Assistance

At AMURTEL, we don’t just provide social services. We build relationships of trust, offer stability, and help children believe in their own strength. We want each of them to become a balanced, responsible, and independent adult, capable of building their own path in life.

Our true success is measured not just by the number of projects implemented, but by every child who comes to say, with a smile: “This is home.”

Among AMURTEL’s steady supporters is Mirela Bîrlă, who has been involved in the organization’s social projects for many years.

Buzău 21K – Every Step Builds the Future

One of the most beautiful projects through which the Buzău community actively supports children is the Buzău 21K Charity Half Marathon.

Every year, we all come together — young and old — and the entire AMURTEL Family runs together for the same cause: building a better future for the children and young people in our care.

It’s not just a sports competition, but an event that brings together runners, volunteers, companies, sponsors, and community supporters, united by the wish to change destinies.

With every kilometer run, every donation, and every person who chooses to get involved, we build brick by brick the future of the children in the AMURTEL Family. Every act of solidarity means access to education, psychological therapies, extracurricular activities, personal development, and the chance of a stable path toward high school, university, and an independent life.

At AMURTEL, we believe change isn’t built overnight. It’s built step by step, person by person, and brick by brick, together with a community that chooses to believe in the power of good.

Mirela Bîrlă – 27 Years Dedicated to Children Who Needed a “Home”

Some people choose a profession, and some find a calling. For Mirela Bîrlă, director of the “Familia AMURTEL” Family-Type Residential Center in Pănătău, that calling has lasted more than 27 years and carries the same name: AMURTEL.

Throughout this time, she has witnessed the transformation of dozens of children who came to the center after experiences marked by abandonment, neglect, or the lack of a safe environment. Today, many of them are young adults continuing their studies, holding jobs, and returning fondly to the place they still call “home.”

“For me, AMURTEL isn’t just the place where I work, but the place where I grew both professionally and as a person. I’ve been part of the AMURTEL family for more than 27 years, and here I’ve always found the openness to learn, to grow, and to truly contribute to changing the lives of children who had a hard start in life,” says Mirela.

For her, every day spent at the center is a confirmation that love, patience, and consistency can change destinies.

“Every day I’ve felt that my work has meaning and that I can make a difference, and that has motivated me to stay and to build, together with my colleagues, a place children can call ‘home.’“

Over the years, the most important change hasn’t been only what she’s observed in the children, but also what she has lived herself.

“The greatest change happened within my own soul. Working day after day alongside the children, I understood how many needs exist around us, and how important it is for someone to be there — to listen, to support, and to offer unconditional love.“

The most beautiful moments are the ones where she sees children who were once frightened and withdrawn become confident teenagers and young adults.

“I’ve seen children who arrived frightened, withdrawn, and lacking self-confidence, and today they are teenagers and young people who smile, learn, and dare to dream. These transformations are the most beautiful reward.“

Looking to the future, Mirela hopes every child can receive even more personalized support.

“I wish we could give every child the attention they need, through a larger team of specialists and educators who could work individually with each of them. Every child is different and has their own pace of development, and my dream is for each one to receive all the resources needed to discover their potential and become a balanced, confident adult, ready for life.“

At AMURTEL, Mirela coordinates the entire activity of the “Familia AMURTEL” Residential Center, making sure every child grows up in a safe, stable, and loving environment. She’s the one who finds solutions when challenges arise and who encourages the children to believe in themselves.

Perhaps her greatest achievement isn’t measured in projects or statistics, but in the bonds built over the years.

“I’m proud that, after so many years, I still love what I do, and that our former beneficiaries keep coming back to us with such warmth. They show us that, beyond all the difficulties, we managed to build something priceless: a family that stays united forever.“

Mirela Bîrlă’s story is, in essence, AMURTEL’s story: about people who choose to stay, to build, and to believe that every child deserves a future. Because sometimes, the greatest change begins the moment a child finally finds a place they can call home.

The Future Is Built Together

In nearly 30 years of activity, AMURTEL Romania has shown that change is possible when people, companies, and institutions choose to work together.

Today, the organization continues to develop its programs and attract new partners who believe every child deserves a safe environment, quality education, and the chance to discover their potential.

Because beyond projects, statistics, or investments, every child needs just one thing: an adult who believes in them.

And at AMURTEL, that trust is built every single day.

Contact person:

Adelina Iancu
Fundraising & Communications Manager
AMURTEL Romania Aid Association

0745 019 611

adelina.iancu@amurtel.ro