Mobile School - Education for Children in Romania

During the winter, the Mobile School rests, as the low temperatures and the snow are not proper conditions for outdoor activities with children that don’t have proper clothing. During this period, our activities focus more on the educational center, which is an indoor facility. Here we continue the work done in the community with children that attend our programs. Playing, socializing, discussing, watching cartoons ensures a glimpse of normality for the children that otherwise spend more of their time working on the street, begging or helping their parents gain the income they need to support their families.

Since the winter this year came later and went later than usual, only at the end of April were we able to go back to the community and bring the play and the education with us - a reason of much joy and celebration for the children. New games and activities got their attention and energy channeled into learning new things, and the result of a lot of fun.

With the summer vacation approaching fast, we are looking towards even warmer days and also more time to spend in the community, assisting the educational process of children in need.

Winter seems like a lot of fun, especially for the kids. There school break, Christmas, snow and the list can go on. For most of the children included in our project the reality is a bit harsher. Since they don't have proper houses, heating the rooms they live in is more difficult, and most of the time they don't have them means to do that. Even for they improvised stoves they are not always able to provide wood. Then, when it snows a lot, the community they live in becomes isolated. there is no proper road in the community and sometimes children have to walk for over 2 km through 30-50 cm snow, in order to go school.

This winter we tried to bring as much joy in their lives by offering them the possibility to enjoy most of the things every child enjoys. Around Christmas we went caroling, they got to see Santa Claus and receive gifts, we played in the snow, and continued to run daily activities in our educational center. Here, they can spend several hours every day, playing, doing homework, socializing, receiving social and psychological support, if needed. Also, they receive a hot meal every day, which is, unfortunately, the only meal some of them have.

Luckily, this winter was not very harsh in our region. Although it snowed a lot in the last period, the temperatures didn't go very low. As much as possible we tried to provide for the children proper clothing and shoes, since many kids were still wearing snickers in the snow.

All these being said, we are looking forward to the warm time, so that we can go out again in the community and be able to play and learn with the mobile school.