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"You promised me that today we would talk about planets": Victor*, an 8-year-old boy with a mischievous smile, doesn't let a day go by without learning something new. Like him, 100 children from disadvantaged families and supported by the Valentina association went to kindergarten or school this past year, with their backpacks full of dreams, thanks to the financial support provided by United Way Romania.
For them, Casa Valentina, located near the Ferentari neighborhood where most of them live, is a welcoming home: from Monday to Friday, here they receive a hot meal for lunch, school supplies and books, but above all, the care and warmth of the staff.
In 2023, 40 school-age children included in the program did their homework, read and watched educational films under the supervision of social workers and teachers. The result? The visible improvement in school results but also a greater openness to those around them.
Ana*, who is just learning to make circles and sticks, asks for help to write the first sentence of her life: « I love you, mom ». The pigtails carefully braided every morning, the backpack carefully prepared the night before, a dessert tucked into her pocket are just a few proofs that her love is fully shared.
Once the homework notebooks are closed, the creative activities begin at the daycare center. How happy the children are when they draw, paint or model! Focused on the drawing sheet or colored sheets, they exchange ideas and markers and can't wait to be praised for their creation, to stick it on the board or to show it to their family.
And how excited they are when they go to the cinema, the theatre or the museum (Antipa, the Village and Map Museum, to name just a few)! And this year they really were spoiled!
In addition, in May and June, 24 of the children took swimming lessons, twice a week. And in July, 25 children spent a magical week of vacation in Vrancea County, in a camp with the theme “The Colors of My Childhood” and the objective of encouraging personal development through art and sports. “It was great, next year I want to go there too,” said Anca*, a little girl with smiling eyes and a runny nose, upon her return.
If the crucial support of United Way was felt throughout the year, in May a new form of solidarity materialized: 12 volunteers from the foundation helped the association improve the quality of conditions in the day center, contributing to the sanitation of the classrooms, the terrace, the external fence and the association’s yard. They did not neglect activities with the children either, planting flowers or getting involved in creative activities. Now Casa Valentina and the yard have become much friendlier, to the joy of the little beneficiaries.
But the problems at home – the absence of one or even both parents, financial difficulties, poor living conditions and many others – cause deep trauma and the help of the psychologist present every day at Casa Valentina was indispensable. In addition, the children participated in personal development sessions and workshops with different themes, such as the “Tree of Emotions”, aimed at encouraging them to find verbal labels for their emotions.
In addition to the 40 school-age children, another 60 toddlers aged between 3 and 6 received support to go to kindergarten, by paying the daily food allowance, but also material donations (clothing and toys) as well as support for paying for emergencies (health, optional workshops).
Other beneficiaries – young people (16-25 years old) and adults (16-65 years old) – received career counseling services, regarding the identification of professional training or jobs to which they can apply, or as the case may be, re-enrolling in school to complete their education.
Because the Valentina Association puts education above all else, as the only chance for a better future. And together with United Way Romania, everything becomes possible.
*children's names have been changed
