Partner: Chance for Life Foundation
Location: Bucharest, District 6
Project at a glance:
The Vodafone Foundation and Chance for Life support the education of 20 children with high intellectual potential from families that are poor or struggle with various social problems.
Why this project is needed
In Romania, children with high intellectual potential from families that cannot support their development have, in general, very little chance to fully develop their skills and to maximize and make the most of their potential.
When the family, the community or the education system neither support these children, nor respond to their specific needs, young people with potential are doomed to failure and wallowing in mediocrity, which is a huge loss, not only at personal level, but at society level.
To prevent wasting the potential of these children and to give a chance to young people to overcome their social condition by exploiting their own skills, the Chance for Life Foundation started 10 years ago a project of scholarships unique in that young people with potential are supported throughout their school life.
How we help
Together with our partner, Chance for Life, the Vodafone Romania Foundation supports the long-term educational, academic and emotional development of 20 intelligent children who come from poor and/or disorganized families from the 6-th District of Bucharest: children placed with grandparents, children from single parent families, children whose parents are chronically ill or have disabilities, children with parents working abroad.
Most children are selected when entering the school system, in the first grade, and they are supported until they are in the twelfth grade, to enable them to enhance their knowledge, to develop their personality and to broaden their cultural universe. The project currently includes 13 children aged 12-14, two teenagers aged 17-18 and 5 first-graders, newly entered in the project.
Children participate daily in supplementary educational activities studying Romanian language (4h / week), mathematics (4h / week), French and English (2h / week) and they benefit from many alternative activities: intensive training for participation in competitions, the ”Chance for Life Connoisseurs” Club with sessions and lessons of natural sciences, physics, history, geography; computer clubs, scrabble, reading or the ”Mind Lab” club – where a trainer involves children in games that promote their intellectual, emotional intelligence and social skills development.
Other activities taking place within the project are aimed at developing children’s personality and creativity: creative workshops, guitar and acting courses, volunteering, visits at the museum, theatre, cinema, going on camps, excursions. Together with the volunteers involved in the project, the children participate in outdoor games and competitions and they are encouraged to pursue sports suited to their personality.
Particular attention is paid to the health of children and young people, which is strongly influenced by nutrition, personal hygiene and living conditions, health status and the living arrangements of parents.
The children receive every day a hot meal, fruit and snacks which provide their daily requirement of nutrients. They are provided medical investigations and they are paid the medicines and medical services they do not benefit from free of charge.
To improve the child’s relationship with his/her family and to avoid ruptures, family members (parents, grandparents, siblings) are encouraged to be involved in the project and to participate in some alternative activities together with the scholarship beneficiaries. When they become familiar with the activity of the beneficiary children and when they understand the importance of the chance these children have received, the family can become an important support for the beneficiaries of the Chance for Life Vodafone scholarships.
Furthermore, in order to contribute to a better relationship and communication between the child/young person and his/her family, the parents and caregivers benefit from a support group and individual and family counselling.
