If It’s May, It’s Football

The children from the Alternative Education Club started the month of May in full force—on the football pitch, thanks to old and new Policy Center for Roma and Minorities (PCRM) partners such as the Romanian Football Federation (RFF), UEFA and the Terre des hommes Foundation. On May 1, Open Doors Day at the RFF training camp in Buftea, 120 children from disadvantaged communities (60 of whom were from Ferentari, one of the worst ghettoes in Bucharest) trained together with star football players and 60 other children from disadvantaged communities. Organized by RFF in partnership with PCRM, Corporeanima and the Queen Maria Foundation, the event took place within the framework of the UEFA grassroots program and aimed to promote football in schools and integration of marginalized children through sports.

The participating children played football under the guidance of the national junior team coaches and football stars such as twice Champions League winner Miodrag Belodedici and Adrian Pigulea. PCRM brought students from schools no. 136 and 2 from Ferenentari, where we have established the Alternative Education Club, a model program started in 2010, which offers Roma and non-Roma children from the Ferentari ghetto a chance to break the vicious cycle of poverty and marginalization through education, sports and arts. The majority of children attending the Club were attracted to the education program through sports. RFF and UEFA played an important role in this success. Melania Medeleanu was also present with children from the community in Clincenii, Ilfov. All of the children received presents at the end of the event, which marked the beginning of a series of actions that will culminate with UEFA Grassroots Day on May 16.

Meanwhile, on May 4, the RFF will host the drawing of 10 names of children who will have the opportunity to participate in the UEFA European League final taking place on May 9 on the National Arena stadium in Bucharest. The 10 lucky names will be drawn from 85 names entered by the children of diverse ethnicities who participated in an event marking International Day to Combat Racial Discrimination on March 21, organized by Terre des hommes under the slogan “Play with Us, No Matter Who You Are”.

UEFA Europa League Ambassador Miodrag Belodedici will draw the 10 names in the presence of Terre des hommes delegate Mr. Joseph Aguettant and Mr. Dumitru Mihalache, UEFA Europa League 2012 final Project Leader. More details about this event are available here.

The May 4 and March 21 actions are part of the MOVE project implemented by Terre des hommes in three European countries (Romania, Albania and Moldova) since 2008, which utilizes an innovative methodology centered around “Movement, Play and Sports” (MPS). Terre des hommes is the largest Swiss organization helping vulnerable children and defends children’s rights in times of war, in the aftermath of natural disasters and in any other difficult situations that children may encounter.