By John Soleanicov | CEO and Co-founder
Below please find a letter from one of our teachers, Alexandra Teleuca, who teaches in Sohatu, Romania - a small village 40 km away from Bucharest.
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And it was a great joy!
As soon as I entered the school, the children from my 7th grade classroom came to me and said „ Gica has come to school today, miss!”
„Who is Gica?” I asked
„Eugen!” they replied.
Eugen is student that I met last month, when I was coming back from the store. I asked him how old he was and why he was not in school. He told me that he was in fifth grade and that he hadn’t been to school for one month. I told him that I was his fifth grade homeroom teacher, or „diriginta,” and that I had never seen him in school. We talked a bit more and I told him that I would be waiting for him at school.
I had heard about Eugen and the fact that he hadn’t come to school last year either. Since meeting him, I had seen him around school with a small walkman playing manele. I spoke with him a few times. Before winter break, I went with few of the other children to look for him at his home. I first met his father, who promised that he would send him to school. Later on, in town, we met him and his older brother, who had finised 8th grade two years ago) and he promised that he would come, but that he needs schoolbooks, because he doesn’t have any.
What did he ask for the moment he came to school today? Schoolbooks!
Everyone was happy at the beginning of the day, because we succeeded in convincing Eugen to come to school together. At the end of the day, the children told me that they were happy he came, but that it might have been better without him.
Thus begins a new adventure in our classroom. Eugen whistles all the time, never sits still and doesnt know how to write. Still, I am so happy!
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Alexandra is one of 18 young teachers recruited and trained by Teach for Romania. Eugen is one of the 2700 children whose lives are transformed by interacting with teachers who believe in them and their potential. Scenes like this happen every day. We thank you for making Teach for Romania possible, so that teachers like Alexandra can work with children like Eugen, transforming lives and communities, and one day, Romania's entire education system.
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