12 volunteers from the Vodafone Romania Companyhave answered on 19-th of March to the request launched by our Foundation and they showed up at the Romanian Basketball Federation gym. It was a unique experience, because we met some amazing people, who feel free and haven’t lost their zest for life, even though they’re strapped to a chair on wheels.
Ana Maria Armeanu has only been working at the company for four months, but she responded immediately to the Foundation’s call for volunteers at Vodafone Romania, excited to take part in a charitable basketball game.
She told us: “I believe that every person has the right to practice a sport, regardless of whether they have a disability of not. Anyone should exercise, for one’s body and for one’s health.”
The Vodafone volunteers’team played against the Motivation athletes, with all players confined to a wheelchair.
“It was very hard sitting in a wheelchair and not being able to move, but it was fun and I enjoyed it. Even though they can’t stand up, these people are very determined and they truly enjoy life”, Ana Maria pointed out.
For those who don’t know, the Vodafone Romania Company offers its employees two vacation days a year so that they can take part in charitable activities.
For Andrei Cenuşă, who has been working at Vodafone for two years, this was his second participation in this type of event, after the one that took place in October last year.
“I saw that they are people just like us, who have passions and jobs, people who deserve help to lead a normal life, like we do”, said Andrei.
“I had a great time. This kind of campaigns need to be encouraged as much as possible, because we want them to feel like part of the community as normal people, like all of us.”
Alexandru Petre, who works in the financial department at Vodafone Romania confessed that he had a very hard time playing basketball in a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him from having a good time and enjoying the event.
“I have a great deal of appreciation for people who manage to overcome their limitations through sport and lots of willpower. I believe we all stand to learn something from them. We should be helpful and supportive and bring a smile on their faces”, he added.
“It’s not easy to not be able to stand up, to be forced to have someone else dress you or wash you”.
The Motivation Foundation, one of the traditional partners of Vodafone Romania Foundation, was founded in 1995 to support children and adults from Romania suffering from disabilities, and it has done so continuously up to the present. The services they provide span a vast array of needs for children and adults with disabilities, from equipment adapted to various types of motor disabilities, to medical recovery and independent life training with an instructor, in a wheelchair himself.
You can find more photos in this album on our Facebook page.
