Romania

Oltenia

PARTNER

Terre des Hommes Italia

Romania is one of Europe’s poorest countries, with almost a third of the population living below the poverty line. Children are among the most vulnerable, and many are left behind by parents migrating to other countries in search of better job opportunities. This exposes children to abuse, neglect, exploitation and trafficking.

This project helps meet these children’s needs by using a holistic and integrated approach that includes self-help grants for after-school activities in rural communities, health risk reduction and summer educational and recreational activities. Two of the grants are for the communities of Castranova and Podari and include psycho-social support for children with psychological disorders in rural areas. After at-risk children and their families are identified, they receive psychological support and counselling.

Takeover Day (November 20) promotes the participation of children and is designed to improve disadvantaged children’s social inclusion and rights. Takeover Day commemorates the International Day of the Rights of the Child, allowing children to “take over” their dream job for a day and work alongside mentors and professionals. The children choose the jobs themselves, and wheels are set in motion to help them experience their chosen job to the fullest, allowing them to make decisions and freely voice their opinions. The child replaces a working professional, who becomes the child’s mentor for the day.