Over 50 children from Tintareni attend our Christian Community Center. Why do parents want their children to be involved in the center’s activities? Are the children not overwhelmed or bored?  This post includes information on October activities at CCC and the effect they play in the children’s development.

1. Individual tutoring

The main objectives of the center is to support the child’s development in a safe and secure environment. The majority of children come from social vulnerable families, low-income families either have one or both parents working abroad and are in the care of a relative. At the center all children receive tutoring with a social teacher in struggling subjects. Individual tutoring is provided to children who are far behind grade-level standards. Some children didn’t understand the subject of the day,  other children need more time to understand the homework, the others still don’t understand why to go to school. While some children learn to read, others are still learning the difference between the circle and the square. The parents can not help them, the school teachers are overloaded and don’t have enough time for individual attention. At the center these children receive encouragement and better understanding for the subjects and tasks that intimidates them.

2. Healthy food

Children are provided with a complete lunch, which consists of soup, porridge, meat or fish, vegetable salad and fruits.  Since not all the children receive breakfast at school, they are very hungry by noon. For some children this is the last meal of the day.

3. Sport and Arts

Football training was available for boys weekly. During these training, they exercise and improve their football skills as well as learn to become good team players.

Wrestling is another sport that children practice at the center. Three times per week, they learn not to give up when it gets hard and build their confidence through accomplishing hard things.

In October we organized a special activity to inspire the creativity of the children.  Children had to describe Automn using different techniques. They used nature materials of different kinds to make natural arrangements, they painted beautiful autumn landscapes, decorated pumpkins, etc.  They were free to experiment (and get messy).  On the day of the contest children had to present team works and individual works.  Each group of children was rewarded with table game and chocolates to celebrated the beauty of God.

Children were also involved in cooking and learned basic cooking skills that they can use at home. They learned to cook cakes and make salads. 

4. Safety and supervision

Many children come home to empty houses after school. At the center they are welcomed by  caring adults who direct the children in a structured program, help them to deal with peer conflict, help children to learn to solve problems and improve their social skills. 

5. Woods for poor families

In October we welcomed a group of volunteers from the Netherlands whose mission was to buy and cut wood for poor people from Tintareni and Bulboaca. This was a great help for needy families who can haldly cover their basic needs. The volunteers distributed wood to elderly and families of the children who benefit of Bethania’s social projects.