The summer past a team from Edenderry CE went to Dobrun in Romania to work at the Densia Day Care. While there the team saw first hand the work that the programme at the centre carries out during the year. But most importantly how the centre can change the lives of the kids who come from backgrounds of poverty and illiteracy.
Cami the regional director for Kids Alive Romania shared with the team the desire for a bus that would allow the kids to continue to stay within the kids programme through the hard winter months in the cold. Many of the kids choose to stop coming to the centre and drop out of the programme in the winter as they do not wish to travel home walking on the roads or cycling in the dark.
Through the help of a number of different fundraising activities we are trying to raise a total of around €20k euros. This would allow the team at the Day Care Centre in Romania to buy a bus big enough for the programme.
This would change the lives of many kids in the village of Dobrun, with the ability to bring them to and from the centre, along with the option of taking them on trips away in the summer months.
This winter, through the festive period of Christmas Eve to New Years Eve team member Philip Anderson will be cycling 500 kilometres to raise money for this project. A challenge entitled the Festive 500. Rain, hail or even snow will see Philip out on his bike cycling to try and raise money to bring a better life to these kids.
We are aiming to raise £3000 through this. All donations raised will be used towards providing a bus for the Denisa Day Care Centre in Romania which supports children who are trapped in poverty and illiteracy. Children’s lives are being transformed through tutoring, food and medical care and the centre is a safe and fun place to be. Many of the children have up to a 7 mile journey to reach the care centre which sometimes leads them to drop out of the care programme. The provision of a vehicle for the care centre will allow Stand by Me to transport the children safely to and from the care centre each day and will make a big difference in the lives of the kids.