DEC2B Project: Over 1,600 Children Received Support Last Year
More than 1,600 Ukrainian refugee children received support from World Vision Romania through the DEC2B project, part of the Ukraine Crisis Response program, from September 2023 to August 2024. Beneficiaries, aged 3–18, had daily or weekly access to education, Romanian language courses, social and emotional support, as well as monthly integration activities within host communities. Additionally, over 2,000 Romanian children were involved in integration activities through sports, arts, games, trips, and more.
„World Vision Romania is an organization dedicated to the well-being of vulnerable children, with our intervention primarily focused on ensuring children’s access to education. As part of the Ukraine Crisis Response program, the DEC2B project successfully implemented educational activities, promoted the right to education, and supported the school inclusion of Ukrainian refugee children into the Romanian educational system through the Happy Bubble centers, local and national advocacy efforts such as the ‘Back to School’ campaign, and strategic partnerships with local authorities and civil society,” stated Iozefina Teodorescu, DEC2B project education specialist.
The achievements mentioned above were made possible through sustained efforts across multiple levels, with complementary activities yielding positive results. Below is a brief overview of the activities carried out from September 2023 to August 2024.
1. Happy Bubble Centers
A major source of assistance for refugee children came through the establishment of Happy Bubble educational centers. By maintaining the daily operation of these nine centers as socio-educational hubs in partnership with local child protection and educational institutions in Bucharest (4 centers), Constanța (1), Cluj-Napoca (1), Iași (1), Suceava (1), and Râmnicu Vâlcea (1), early childhood education services for preschoolers, after-school services for children aged 6–18, hot meals, snacks, school supplies, and more were provided. The early education services helped Ukrainian children integrate more easily into groups with Romanian children, while also enabling their parents to enter the workforce.
„Although it seemed like an impossible mission, the services we provided greatly helped refugee children form connections with Romanian children and build friendships. We hope these bonds will last, even if the refugee children leave the country. Every time we organized joint activities for Romanian and Ukrainian beneficiaries, the outcomes were overwhelmingly positive,” said Florentina, a Happy Bubble educator in Brâncuși.
The after-school services included homework assistance, remedial classes, Romanian language courses, digital education, and various non-formal education workshops focused on developing independent living skills, including reading clubs, English clubs, storytelling sessions, speech development, mentoring for teenagers, arts and crafts workshops, financial literacy, sports activities, child protection, mental health services, and psychological support.
„I believe that the Romanian language courses played a crucial role in integrating refugees into Romanian society. It was a challenging task, but all the positive results gave me the strength to overcome the difficulties. Every sentence spoken in Romanian by the participants was a valuable confirmation of our efforts,” said Laura Constantin, Romanian language teacher at World Vision.
Beneficiaries were also given access to the formal Ukrainian education system through online school courses for refugee children whose families opted for distance learning. World Vision supported these efforts by promoting social cohesion and involving refugee children in integration activities alongside Romanian children through sports, arts, games, and other similar activities. More than 3,600 children participated in these activities.
„At World Vision, I witnessed the power of solidarity and the positive impact humanitarian aid can have on the lives of vulnerable children. I was inspired by my colleagues’ dedication and the resilience of our beneficiaries. Every interaction, every smile, and every small victory reminded us of the importance of our work,” said Maria Olteanu, a Happy Bubble educator from Tei.
2. Strategic Partnerships
In the 2023–2024 school year, through the DEC2B project, strategic partnerships and grants were established to support 210 refugee children and 150 Romanian children in accessing formal education in the Romanian system, as well as the preparation of four integrating schools and two school inspectorates.
Through a partnership with the Christian Center Bucharest Association and the awarding of a grant, 60 Ukrainian children received support for integration into the formal Romanian education system at the Romanian-Finnish School in Bucharest, where they benefited from a complete educational package, including educational support services and hot meals.
„Starting in March 2022, the Romanian-Finnish School opened its doors to Ukrainian children. Initially, we aimed to provide them with a safe environment where they could socialize and engage in recreational, educational, and sports activities. In the 2022–2023 school year, we focused on their emotional well-being and learning Romanian. The 2023–2024 school year brought new challenges as the children transitioned from being auditors to full-time students. They followed the Romanian curriculum, received grades, and were evaluated in Romanian. It was not an easy year for them, the teachers, or the parents, but by the end of the school year, we were all able to celebrate the results. All the children completed the school year successfully, some even achieving excellent academic results. Ukrainian students now speak Romanian fluently and have made significant social progress. By the end of this year, we can truly speak of inclusion, thanks in large part to our long-term partnership with World Vision Romania,” said Olga, teacher at the Finnish School.
A partnership with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Romania, supported by a grant, assisted 300 children (150 Ukrainian and 150 Romanian) enrolled in three schools in Constanța with Romanian and math tutoring, as well as educational counseling to meet specific learning needs and improve refugee children’s integration into the school environment. The three schools were also provided with self-assessment tools and plans for inclusive schooling, training for over 100 teachers, and study materials for educators, developed in collaboration with the Constanța School Inspectorate.
3. Local and National Advocacy
A national advocacy campaign was conducted to guarantee the right to education for all children, especially refugees. The „Back to School” campaign, which ran from September 2023 to February 2024, included:
– Distribution of over 1,000 educational kits for refugee children to facilitate active participation in school and extracurricular programs.
– Production of a public service announcement for the national advocacy campaign titled „Your child has the right to education!” in both Romanian and Ukrainian.
– Dissemination of the PSA in both languages (Romanian/Ukrainian) on national TV channels, with 1.17 million unique viewers in January 2024, as well as on social media and among beneficiaries and partners.
– Support from key decision-making institutions, such as the Romanian Government’s Ministry of Family, Youth, and Equal Opportunities – National Authority for the Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption.
After the campaign, Happy Bubble centers continued to inform and guide beneficiaries toward county school inspectorates for access to Romanian education, study equivalency, orientation, and more.
World Vision Romania also played an active role in the Inter-Agency Working Group on education, coordinated by UNHCR Romania, collaborating with NGOs, the Ministry of Education, and regional authorities at the national level.
According to UNICEF data communicated by the Ministry of Education on May 27, 2024, the number of Ukrainian children enrolled in the Romanian formal education system was 39,598, of which 24,458 were still auditors. Additionally, there were 6,061 children in early childhood education (crèche), bringing the total to 45,659 children. Of these, 14,073 were actively attending classes in the Romanian system.
