A BETTER FUTURE

Children from vulnerable communities receive educational support

“Today is the first day of school! I can't wait to go and see my teachers and friends”

Many children growing up in poverty in Eastern Europe have parents who dropped out of school early and are now unable to secure well-paid jobs. Children then often drop out early themselves to help earn money for their family or take care of younger siblings. This is particularly common in Roma communities, where families are close-knit, and Roma children sometimes face prejudice at school. The cycle of poverty continues when Roma children fail to get a good education and face the same lack of job prospects as their parents.

"Today is the first day of school! I can't wait to go and see my teachers and friends," said eight-year-old Desi excitedly.

Desi is one of five children growing up in a Roma family in Bulgaria. Her parents know first-hand how difficult life can be without an education. They work low-paid jobs, and money is always tight.

Nikolay, her father, said, "I've never been to school in my life except for kindergarten. There have been so many situations where I've been uncomfortable because of my problems with writing, and I don't want my children to feel the same shame as me. I want a better future for them where they don't make the same mistakes I did." 

It would be difficult for Desi's parents to help her with her schoolwork or afford the school supplies their daughter needs, but fortunately, the family are enrolled on Mission Without Borders' family sponsorship programme – and as a result, Desi attends after school club, where she receives regular support with her schoolwork. She was also delighted to receive a backpack and school supplies from MWB.


Elena, her teacher at the after-school club, said, “There’s been such a positive change in Desi since she started attending the club. At first, she was easily distracted and struggled to focus. But over time, she became very responsible, listening with great interest and no longer daydreaming. 

“I was pleasantly surprised when she started reciting her timetables one day. She’d learned them on her own by listening to the other children.” 

MWB’s teachers help the children overcome any areas of difficulty they are having at school. The children grow in confidence, become more engaged in their lessons, and start achieving better grades at school. This makes it far less likely that they’ll drop out. 

Desi’s mother, Elvira, said, “I’m very proud of my daughter. I can see how much she’s changed over the last year.”

She wants to be a teacher one day and help other young children.

 

Desi's mother continues, "It's amazing that she already knows what she wants to become when she grows up. I have no words to express my gratitude to Mission Without Borders for all the support they've given my family. Our difficulties have diminished, thanks to you." 

With your support, we can help other children like Desi grow in confidence and start to dream and work towards a brighter future. 

Your donation can pay for a backpack and school supplies or help support our after-school programme, where children are taking the first steps towards breaking out of poverty. 

Will you partner with us today?

7 608

Approximately 7 608 children will be helped with backpacks and school supplies this year.

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