Youth fight school abandonment in their community through play

A few years ago, a group of kids from the Aghiresu village in Northern Transylvania started an out-of-the-ordinary volunteering project, inspired by World Vision Romania. They were worried about the fact that many children from their communities were unable to come to school ever yday because of the difficulties they faced at home. Some of them did not have proper clothes, shoes or food; others had to work in the fields to help their parents. There were also other kids who did not like to go to school because they did not think it was worth the effort. Soon some gangs of youngsters appeared displaying aggressive forms of behaviour and bullying, which had a negative influence on the other kids. This situation challenged the Joyful Children to create and enact games to stop the violence and convey a positive message about education. It was tough for them at the beginning, however gradually the other kids accepted them and happily engaged in their play. They created a manual of activities based on their learning. Their project has now been replicated in many communities across Romania.