Impressions at the end of the project (7)

One of the specialists of the “Quality and inclusion through education” project, Dimitrie Morariu – psychologist, worked with the beneficiaries from two educational units: Valea Ursului Vocational School and Făurei Secondary School. He therefore met 73 beneficiaries between the ages of 8 and 16. Each with his own problem, each with his own feelings, each with his own rhythm and fears. It was by no means an easy mission, but the challenge gave him courage.
“The activities carried out were psycho-pedagogical counseling and counseling for children and young people. As I expected, the most appreciated activities were the group, interactive ones. Organizing these activities through the direct involvement of the children stimulated their competitive spirit, but also empathy and support for their peers who did not do as well in performing the tasks. Discussion topics related to family, life and their school and professional future were also highly appreciated. What did I propose? The biggest desire was and is for them to be aware of the importance of going through educational cycles, the fact that “if you have a book, you have a part” are not just simple words. Certainly such activities would need to continue in the form of future such projects, but especially as a support service permanently offered by schools (especially for rural areas). I was asked what gave me courage…well, the remarkable evolution of two cases: R. from the Făurei Secondary School and A. from the Valea Ursului Professional School.
R is a little girl who started the activities within the project with great shyness, mostly because of some small speech deficiencies that also required speech therapy sessions (also offered within our project). In the course of a year and a half of activities, the girl managed to overcome all her fears, moreover, since the fall of 2023 she is a high school student in Piatra Neamț, a situation that seemed unattainable at the beginning of the project.
A was also a special case that required a lot of effort from her and the specialists involved. Coming from a family where physical and verbal violence were normal, the girl was a mother to her younger siblings. Despite the family situation with all its difficulties, he participated in absolutely all the activities in the project, in addition to the fact that he was not absent from school classes. When the authorities intervened, A. and her siblings were taken from the harmful family and accommodated in a complex of services for children. Despite all these struggles she had to fight, she is now a student at a high school in Piatra Neamț.
Here, then, are two examples that have shown us that our involvement can bear fruit and even change destinies. Through such projects, students have the chance to live the experience of a “different kind of school”, they can benefit from the input of specialists to whom they do not currently have access. And we are always open to be here for them!”