Tutor and girl working together
We love the Education club

When Valeriu started a club for children in the ghetto, hardly any children were attending school there. Children and young people were dying every month of malnutrition, abuse, drug overdoses and suicide. The Alternative Education Club became the focus of efforts that helped change the lives of Europe’s poorest children.

Today, hundreds of children come to the club to get help every year to cope with school, learn about their rights and get support to develop and live a good life. The poorest children are given shoes, clothes and sometimes food. Children who take drugs and/or are exploited and forced to sell drugs and/or sex are given support to leave that life behind and have the childhood to which they are entitled.

Cristian

Cristian, 11
“I get so angry when people pick on you and fight. Playing football with Valeriu makes me happy.”

Rebecca

Rebecca, 12
“I love the Education Club because I learn new things here and get to play with friends. Valeriu and the others are kind and support us. Irina (photo) is good at helping me understand things!”

Daniel

Daniel, 13
“My favourite subject at the Education Club is maths. I also want to learn computer programming and be better at football!”

Andrea

Andrea, 10
“I like learning to dance. When I’m older, I want to be a dancer and teach other children to be good dancers.”

BIanca

Bianca, 12
“Our teachers at the Education Club are like really good friends or extra parents!”

Rebecca

Nicoleta, 13
“I’ve been going to the Education Club since I was little, it’s helped me a lot. Now I also help the younger children.”

Marian

Marian, 15
“The thing I hate most is when boys fight and when it snows! My favourite is playing football. When I’m older, I want to be a chef or a waiter.”

Text: Carmilla Floyd
Photo: Joanna Pelirocha

Related stories
Valeriu as a boy, holding a girl’s hand.
Valeriu grows up
Valeriu grew up in the countryside in an area where everyone was different, yet they managed to get along.
Valeriu playing football with children
What does Valeriu do?
One weekend, Valeriu walks quickly through the Ferentari ghetto.
Children and players in Romanian football stadium
Cleaning up football
When Valeriu launched a campaign against racism in football, hate crime cases dropped from 80 a week to zero! .
Child running in Ferenetari neighhbourhood
The children of ghost alley
Toto, 10, skilfully picks his way between the piles of rubbish on the street and jumps over puddles and broken bottles.
Members of theatre group PLayhood
Theatre for life
When Toto and his friends premiered his new play at Romania’s biggest annual theatre festival, people stood up in the auditorium and applaud.
Graffitti on wall: Ferentari
Street games
There aren’t many places to play in Ferentari.
Boy looking away
Enslaved for 500 years
The Roma migrated out of India to Europe nearly 1,000 years ago.
Valeriu with children from Ferentari
Valeriu Nicolae
Valeriu grew up in poverty and was discriminated against because he was Roma.
WORLD'S CHILDRENS PRIZE FOUNDATION

Långgatan 13, 647 30, Mariefred, Sweden
Phone: +46-159-129 00 • info@worldschildrensprize.org

© 2020 World’s Children’s Prize Foundation. All rights reserved. WORLD'S CHILDREN'S PRIZE®, the Foundation's logo, WORLD'S CHILDREN'S PRIZE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD®, WORLD'S CHILDREN'S PARLIAMENT®, WORLD'S CHILDREN'S OMBUDSMAN®, WORLD'S CHILDREN'S PRESS CONFERENCE® and YOU ME EQUAL RIGHTS are service marks of the Foundation.

 
x
x
x