Deloitte Foundation and World Vision inaugurate new center for educational activities for Ukrainian children and counseling for their mothers

The Deloitte Foundation and World Vision inaugurate at Romexpo the second center that will provide educational and recreational activities for Ukrainian pupils and preschool children, as well as English and Romanian classes for their mothers, psychological, legal and occupational counseling.

The first such center, located in the Tei Student Sports Cultural Complex in Bucharest, was opened in May 2022, and, in the first three months since its inauguration, approximately 100 people, mothers and children, benefited from over 500 hours of activities organized there.

“The first center built within our partnership with World Vision has been received with enthusiasm among the beneficiaries, as well as among our colleagues, who got involved voluntarily in the activities for children. I thank our partners and all those who have supported this ambitious project. I am particularly grateful to my colleagues for being pro-active and so dedicated in offering to help the victims of the conflict in Ukraine, in various ways, since its outbreak. Through this collective and individual commitment, we are able to turn into concrete actions Deloitte’s strategic focus on making an impact that matters through education. The Ukrainian refugees are still in great need for support to continue their education, to overcome the traumas generated by the war and to be able to build a life beyond them,” said Alexandru Reff, Country Managing Partner, Deloitte Romania and Moldova.

The new center located at Romexpo, called Happy Bubble, is similar to the one opened in Tei Student Sports Cultural Complex and has an area of about 80 square meters. It can accommodate up to 40 children daily. The planned activities are addressed to both preschoolers and pupils of all ages and include classes of mathematics, English, programming, workshops of personal development, drawing and dance. For the mothers of the beneficiary children, the center offers English and Romanian classes, psychological counseling, legal and labor market integration. The beneficiaries will also be provided with lunch meals.

“We chose to open the second Happy Bubble center supported by our partners at Deloitte Romania in the Romexpo area, because we identified here one of the biggest needs. The daily flow of refugees is still high, and World Vision is one of the important supporters for the activities at Romexpo. Ukrainian refugeed children are in great need of help as we speak: 3.6 million Ukrainian children are at risk of not having access to education and 1.5 million are at risk of mental health problems six months after the conflict broke out, according to World Vision analyses. The help we provide in these centers to both children and mothers is essential and we are grateful to our partners because together we are able to do this,” said Mihaela Nabar, Executive Director, World Vision Romania.

The Happy Bubble center was created to provide daily assistance to Ukrainian families, especially children, after the Child Friendly Spaces model developed by World Vision based on an international methodology, implemented in several areas of the globe where refugees live. These friendly spaces for children who are going through emergency situations are designed to provide them with a safe, calm and comfortable environment, so that they can find the play and educational routine they had at home, at least partially.