OAT Farm Guest House. Tariff

OAT FARM

SECURING A FUTURE FOR DISADVANTAGED YOUTH AT RISK

FARA's innovative organic farm enterprise the first of its kind in Romania, provides local employment and training at its residential centre.

On the farm, a residential training centre and workshops have been built – the training centre incorporates a guest house with accommodation for up to 10 guests. The primary objective is to give both FARA’s youngsters leaving care and other disadvantaged young people an opportunity to obtain skills and find employment – thus breaking the cycle of poverty in rural areas.

There is currently 40% unemployment in rural areas, most young people see no future for them in their communities and plan to leave the countryside or emigrate. FARA aims to address this problem by providing training courses and workshops run as business enterprises. These include carpentry and furniture making, manufacture of wire fencing, traditional willow baskets harvested from the reed beds, honey production and traditional food processing of vegetables and fruit.

The business workshops will not only train but give employment at the farm for young people.

Training courses

Profits generated from the farm in 2007 have supported training courses for over eighty young people in agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry. The practical knowledge gained by these students has been invaluable in introducing modern farming methods in rural Romania

OAT Farm also has a residential hostel for a small number of disadvantaged youngsters coming from institutional care and FARA’s programmes. These students can receive training in our carpentry workshops on an apprentice basis, are supported and encouraged towards achieving independent living and employment. With such damaged backgrounds this can take at least a year.

Plans are well under way for a new course in agro tourism to commence in Spring 2008 when students can gain practical experience at FARA's Farm Guest House.