So much accomplished and yet so humble. A wife, mother, grandmother and overall, a woman with a big heart, who made it her goal to help people in need wherever she can. We are talking about Petruta Stanescu, the founder of the Hercules Association in Romania. A project that the Stepic CEE Charity has been supporting and cooperating with since 2015, and which has already helped over 1,000 children escape the vicious circle of poverty. All this would not have been possible without Petruta – the “Mother of Hercules”.
Petruta always had the vision to help poor people, especially children and women, and turning them into independent, responsible, and happy human beings. That is why she decided to work as a nurse in a hospital in her hometown Costesi in southern Romania. In the 36 years she worked as a nurse, she witnessed much sadness and suffering, experiencing poverty, alcoholism, and violence on a daily basis. This fueled her motivation to help those in need even more. According to her, there is only one way out of poverty – education.
In the 1990s, she learned from a Dutch NGO that worked in the hospital for a while how a non-governmental organization works and what it can do for the community. At that time, next to children, the support of women was a major concern for her. Therefore, she developed a project to support women who were suffering from domestic violence. “If we light a candle somewhere on our planet, we may not make the whole world much brighter, but at least a little less dark," said Petruta and started devoting herself to the other matter close to her heart, the young generation. The idea of the Hercules Association was born.
As Petruta herself is the mother of a son, she was particularly committed to the best possible care, protection, and education of children. With the support of Dutch friends and the funding of the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation, the idea of an educational day center became true. It became a place of hope, education, love, and shelter. With a lot of effort, diligence, and sleepless nights, Petruta and her team of volunteers built a center that could accommodate up to 50 school children. In 2019, due to the remarkable success of the Hercules Association and the financial support of project partners, including the Stepic CEE Charity, another center was opened in Buftea.
To this day, Petruta has continued to support as many children as she can. Her reason for not wanting to stop is quite simple: It is the beautiful feeling seeing a child grow into an educated, independent person. It is the joy in their eyes when they get the attention and love they need and deserve. ”When we give love, it comes back to us in one way or another. So spread as much love as you can,” is Petruta’s advice.
Petruta stands for all the women who are caregivers, opening their heart not only for their own children but also for those who are exposed to poverty and lack support, shelter, and education. Petruta and the CEE Charity share an important common goal, laying the foundation for a better future for children. This shared dedication is the reason for the amazing cooperation and the success we have together.
We are proud to have Petruta as a partner, because it is only through good souls like hers that we can make a difference. And this is why the Stepic CEE Charity wants to honor her and all women like her on International Women's Day, without whose love, strength, and passion we could not achieve our goal to provide a better life for children and women.