Edward
Richardson, one of the volunteers, said: "Creativity, which we know
to be crucial to a child's development, is overlooked in the Romanian
curriculum.
"But through the creative arts week the charity worked with the children
of Maru to help them engage with the world in an imaginative way.
"The response from the children was enormously encouraging with their
confidence evidently growing as the week progressed."
The charity's work is based in the town, in south west
Romania, where there is a high ratio of Roma gipsies.
They are often discriminated against because of their way of life.
Many of them do not have the paperwork, after not being registered at
birth, to go to school so access to any education limited.
The charity was set up by Phil Miller, who left his job at Widcombe Junior
School to help the thousands of street children struggling to survive
in Romania.
He wanted to target children of Roma descent to try to prevent more from
becoming destitute.
The week-long workshop was for 90 children.
Helping children in the rural community is so unusual in Romania that
the work was broadcast on national media.
Mr Miller said the week had been such a success that it would be run annually.
He also now hopes to build a community centre where children with learning
difficulties can receive the extra help they need.
The centre will also be a place for parents to learn about health issues.
For more information on how to help, or to find out more about the charity,
visit www.e4cn.org or email info@ e4cn.org. |
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