Europa i Fokus

Europa i Fokus (EIF) is a Norwegian, Christian, independent (free church) foundation established in 1991 by Frantz Johansen. Its main goal is to help people in need, both spiritually and socially. The foundation is built on idealism, and its operating income comes from voluntary organizations, support partners, businesses, schools, and congregations from various church denominations. It runs a center with a school, vocational school, medical care, and social workers for street children. An emergency relief center provides daily distribution of food, clothing, and medical assistance on the streets, operating from restaurant buses that drive around the city. Europa i Fokus views the human being as a whole. Through preaching the transforming power of the Gospel, it sees how people gain new hope that positively affects them socially. Fathers stop drinking and stealing and instead engage with their families, leading to better cohesion and family reunification. The foundation is particularly known for its work with the so-called "sewer children" of Romania. Frantz Johansen is called the father of the sewer children. Through Europa i Fokus, he has been central in rescuing children and poor families in Romania, especially children living in the sewer systems of Romania's major cities. In the autumn of 1994, while teaching at a Bible seminar in Bucharest, he met a young Roma girl who asked for money for herself and her one-year-younger, paralyzed brother. Through her, he learned that their home was among rats, mice, and cockroaches in the sewer system under the streets of Bucharest. After following her underground, he was shocked to find thousands of children and youth living in terrible stench, sewage, excrement, and pitch darkness, having taken refuge from police and people who wished them harm. This gave Johansen a life calling. Without funds, he began the difficult work of rescuing these children from their inhuman living conditions. Through newspapers, TV, and radio, his work became known. Several powerful TV reports about the children in the sewer system helped launch many aid actions that have helped thousands of children into a normal life. The organization Liv & Lys (Life & Light) was built up thanks to Norwegian and Swedish contributors and is the largest private aid organization in Bucharest. It has built reception centers, children's centers, teen centers, schools, a vocational school, and a hostel for youth over 18. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and psychiatrists provide the children with necessary follow-up. The organization cooperates closely with Romanian authorities. In February 1997, a new vocational school was inaugurated, a building of 500 m². It teaches computing, woodwork, sewing, ceramics, and car electronics. The school appears as Romania's most modern and has attracted great attention from the whole country. The largest reason for the street children problem is the enormous poverty in rural Romania. Thousands of families live in earthen houses built of cow dung and straw. A rag in front of open holes in the wall replaces doors and windows. With winter temperatures like in Norway, many freeze to death. Because of the enormous poverty, children and youth are sent to the big cities to fend for themselves. Many end up as sewer children. Europa i Fokus sends aid transports (aid shipments) with food, clothing, and equipment collected in Norway. These are distributed to poor Roma and Romanians living in the countryside. By distributing food and warm clothing to the poor in the countryside, most can manage to take care of their own children. This has saved hundreds of poor people from dying of hunger and cold. Romania became an EU member in 2007 and was required to implement extensive reforms in the state healthcare system. The large state orphanages, where children lived under undignified conditions, packed tightly together, had to be reduced.

Europa i Fokus was founded in 1991 by Frantz Johansen as a Norwegian, Christian, independent (free church) foundation. Its main goal is to help people in need, both spiritually and socially. The foundation is built on idealism, and its operating income comes from voluntary organizations, support partners, businesses, schools, and congregations from various church denominations. A turning point came in the autumn of 1994 when Frantz Johansen, while teaching at a Bible seminar in Bucharest, met a young Roma girl who asked for money for herself and her one-year-younger, paralyzed brother. Through her, he learned that their home was among rats, mice, and cockroaches in the sewer system under the streets of Bucharest. After following her underground, he was shocked to find thousands of children and youth living in terrible stench, sewage, excrement, and pitch darkness, having taken refuge from police and people who wished them harm. This gave Johansen a life calling. Without funds, he began the difficult work of rescuing these children from their inhuman living conditions. Through newspapers, TV, and radio, his work became known. Several powerful TV reports about the children in the sewer system helped launch many aid actions that have helped thousands of children into a normal life. The organization Liv & Lys (Life & Light) was built up thanks to Norwegian and Swedish contributors and is the largest private aid organization in Bucharest. It has built reception centers, children's centers, teen centers, schools, a vocational school, and a hostel for youth over 18. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and psychiatrists provide the children with necessary follow-up. The organization cooperates closely with Romanian authorities. In February 1997, a new vocational school was inaugurated, a building of 500 m². It teaches computing, woodwork, sewing, ceramics, and car electronics. The school appears as Romania's most modern and has attracted great attention from the whole country. The largest reason for the street children problem is the enormous poverty in rural Romania. Thousands of families live in earthen houses built of cow dung and straw. A rag in front of open holes in the wall replaces doors and windows. With winter temperatures like in Norway, many freeze to death. Because of the enormous poverty, children and youth are sent to the big cities to fend for themselves. Many end up as sewer children. Europa i Fokus sends aid transports (aid shipments) with food, clothing, and equipment collected in Norway. These are distributed to poor Roma and Romanians living in the countryside. By distributing food and warm clothing to the poor in the countryside, most can manage to take care of their own children. This has saved hundreds of poor people from dying of hunger and cold. Romania became an EU member in 2007 and was required to implement extensive reforms in the state healthcare system. The large state orphanages, where children lived under undignified conditions, packed tightly together, had to be reduced. Romanian authorities cooperated with Europa i Fokus to improve the living conditions of hundreds of children in the country's orphanages. The EU contributed one billion Norwegian kroner to the reform, and Europa i Fokus participated in implementing it. Six institutions for children were built in various places in Romania. Europa i Fokus assists in their operation. Europa i Fokus also wants to meet spiritual needs and help the whole person through Christian mission. They organize Bible seminars, provide support (salary) to pastors, and build churches. The board of Europa i Fokus consists of volunteers who, unpaid, wish to make an effort for their fellow human beings. The book "Frantz Johansen, kloakkbarnas far" (Frantz Johansen, Father of the Sewer Children) was published by Rex forlag in 1997.

• 2007

  Romania joins EU; Europa i Fokus participates in healthcare reform, building six children's institutions.

• 1997

  New vocational school inaugurated in February, a 500 m² building.

• 1997

  Book "Frantz Johansen, kloakkbarnas far" published by Rex forlag.

• 1994

  Frantz Johansen encounters sewer children in Bucharest, leading to the foundation's rescue work.

• 1991

  Europa i Fokus founded by Frantz Johansen.

Christian humanitarian foundation helping people in need, especially children and poor families in Romania.

1. 1EIFeuropaifokus.no
2. 2Europa i Fokusno.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org