(Timea Cosobea, Viata 2004 Program participant)

Reflections after the Viata program…

I feel obligated, because of the covenant I have made, to try and lay down my thoughts and pour out my soul on this paper, to try and find out if I have truly discovered myself. But, first, to those who are reading these lines, I would like to address my sincere wish: Please do not think that I am writing this with an innocent naivety, as seen through a child’s eye.

I want to demonstrate that this world can be changed, that we can change the world. Not in a moment, not in a day, not in a year. I am confident that we can do it step by step. I had the chance to meet a group of extraordinary people who realized that the one and only chance to save our society is through education. These people/ leaders demonstrated ambition, perseverance and involvement. They are the reason why I believe that anything is possible now.

I have spent 5 days amongst these wonderful people in the “Viata” program (rom. for “The Life”). This program has been organized by The New Horizons Foundation and it has a noble purpose that can only be achieved through everyone’s implication/involvement. Therefore, I have a holy duty to fulfill, a covenant that I have to keep.

This program is based upon the concept of “experiential education” and it has succeeded to achieve something we would have never achieved as strangers: It has UNITED us.

Experiential education is based upon rock climbing and low and high ropes activities, upon overcoming fear. For you have fear. But when you see those who have only known you for a day or two, supporting and cheering you on, becoming your true friends….you overcome fear, enlarge your comfort zone and relate to those who are working with you.

Mutual dependency is being formed. And you start loving them back, offering them trust and the chance to look deep down inside your soul.

This organization realized solely the only way to fight against corruption lays in proper education and active citizenship. Additionally, it is sufficient for a single voice to speak the truth and many other voices will follow it. In order to assure our future, Viata realized we need to act now. And the future is us, the ones whom childhood has not left yet.

We choose life, living. But now we live in pollution, we kill nature, we kill ourselves. And we continue to say that we are choosing life/ that we are choosing to live. I walked down the streets and I saw garbage, I saw residue. And I have tried to clean it up. The garbage pile was too big and I was alone….I beg/ask for your help. If every citizen picks up a small piece of garbage and took it to the dumpster, then I would know that someone heard my cry. And if this article received no answer, then I would write another one over and over again till someone hears me.

As for my wish, I will repeat it: please do not find naivety in my words, do not believe that I have written them with an infantile drive. I have written this for you with sincerity because I have made a covenant. I have promised that I would get involved, that I will be an active citizen and that I would never give up even if my actions repeatedly fail.

In the end, I would like to thank those who have encouraged me, those extraordinary people whom “Viata” brought into my life, who are the main reason for writing this article. I wrote this for them, I wrote this for you, I wrote this for myself as well. I wrote this hoping that it will get an answer.

Timeea is a 14 year old girl from Petrosani. She is a very bright young lady who has a rare disease (her bones are growing horizontal instead of vertical) and soon will have her 3rd corrective surgery. According to the doctors, the possibility of more surgeries is likely. Please pray for her!!!