Youth take lead for education and jobs in rural Romania
George, Sorin, Alex, Marius, Catalina, Nicoleta and Georgiana are the seven courageous students–and founders– of the Association with support from World Vision Romania.
With years of experience behind them as World Vision volunteers or members of the Youth Initiative Group, these young people have proven their commitment, maturity and capability to write and implement small projects or develop advocacy and fundraising campaigns for their community.
We want to help the young people from our community to find jobs, faster and more easily“We want to help the young people from our community to find jobs, faster and more easily. Many high school students need a part time job to pay for their transportation to school and to have some pocket money. Through the association we will try to improve the connection with the business community from Constanta, in order to help youth to find appropriate jobs, without losing time and effort”, says 19-year-old George, who is the President of “Cumpana Tinerilor” Association, which translates roughly as ‘Youth Equilibrium’.
The idea for the project was borne as a result of George and Alex’s personal experience. “For the last two years, we have been working as distributors of promotional flyers. Many students from Cumpana asked us how we succeeded to find a part-time job and asked for help”, Alex explains.
Lack of money to pay for transportation to and from high school is a significant problem in rural areas where the average monthly income is just 644 lei (US$215) and the cost of transportation to a school in Constanta town can amount to 200 lei (SU$67) per person. When more than one sibling attends school in Constanta, transportation costs can place a massive burden on the family budget and many students drop out of high school, which is one of the reasons why part-time jobs for students are so crucial here.
...transportation costs can place a massive burden on the family budget and many students drop out of high schoolBut the Association’s activities will not be wholly focused on employment. “The young people from our community need to be involved in sportive and fun activities because most of them are sedentary. That’s why we will also promote a healthy life style through sport”, adds Nicoleta, another association member.
“We also found a partner from Chisinau city in the Moldovian Republic, and intend to write a project in partnership with their young people’s association”, George says of their future plans.
The Cumpana city-hall has provided a space in which members can meet at no charge and has offered its support for future activities. World Vision covered the legal costs of setting up the association and also trained the seven founders in advocacy, community involvement and responsibility, project writing, communication and many other topics.
“I am glad that we succeeded to establish an association for the youth of Cumpana community. They dreamed about if for many years, but it was impossible to realize that, until they came of age. Now, seven of them have reached 18 and the rest of the 25 students who are involved as volunteers in all the association’s activities, will become full members as soon they reach 18”, explains Corina Iordanescu, World Vision’s Constanta civil society sector manager.
One of the first “Cumpana Tinerilor” Association initiatives is to perform two theatre plays named “Talanga” and “Gigica versus Gigel”, which reflect on the role of women in society and the gap between generations.
With years of experience behind them as World Vision volunteers or members of the Youth Initiative Group, these young people have proven their commitment, maturity and capability to write and implement small projects or develop advocacy and fundraising campaigns for their community.
We want to help the young people from our community to find jobs, faster and more easily“We want to help the young people from our community to find jobs, faster and more easily. Many high school students need a part time job to pay for their transportation to school and to have some pocket money. Through the association we will try to improve the connection with the business community from Constanta, in order to help youth to find appropriate jobs, without losing time and effort”, says 19-year-old George, who is the President of “Cumpana Tinerilor” Association, which translates roughly as ‘Youth Equilibrium’.
The idea for the project was borne as a result of George and Alex’s personal experience. “For the last two years, we have been working as distributors of promotional flyers. Many students from Cumpana asked us how we succeeded to find a part-time job and asked for help”, Alex explains.
Lack of money to pay for transportation to and from high school is a significant problem in rural areas where the average monthly income is just 644 lei (US$215) and the cost of transportation to a school in Constanta town can amount to 200 lei (SU$67) per person. When more than one sibling attends school in Constanta, transportation costs can place a massive burden on the family budget and many students drop out of high school, which is one of the reasons why part-time jobs for students are so crucial here.
...transportation costs can place a massive burden on the family budget and many students drop out of high schoolBut the Association’s activities will not be wholly focused on employment. “The young people from our community need to be involved in sportive and fun activities because most of them are sedentary. That’s why we will also promote a healthy life style through sport”, adds Nicoleta, another association member.
“We also found a partner from Chisinau city in the Moldovian Republic, and intend to write a project in partnership with their young people’s association”, George says of their future plans.
The Cumpana city-hall has provided a space in which members can meet at no charge and has offered its support for future activities. World Vision covered the legal costs of setting up the association and also trained the seven founders in advocacy, community involvement and responsibility, project writing, communication and many other topics.
“I am glad that we succeeded to establish an association for the youth of Cumpana community. They dreamed about if for many years, but it was impossible to realize that, until they came of age. Now, seven of them have reached 18 and the rest of the 25 students who are involved as volunteers in all the association’s activities, will become full members as soon they reach 18”, explains Corina Iordanescu, World Vision’s Constanta civil society sector manager.
One of the first “Cumpana Tinerilor” Association initiatives is to perform two theatre plays named “Talanga” and “Gigica versus Gigel”, which reflect on the role of women in society and the gap between generations.
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