The project is run by our Future Changed Team -three teachers and a social worker. Every three months Mirela who leads the project, updates us on what the children have been learning.

The Future Changed Kindergarten is a magical place for these wonderful children – who have had a really unfortunate start in life – to just be children. The sponsors of this project enable children who have no chance in life, to be given the opportunity to learn and be in a strong position to start school rather than have a high chance of school drop out which is what used to happen.

Children born in Dallas Shanty Town have very little hope for the future. Their circumstances are so poor and their families lives such as struggle then education is not seen as a priority. Your sponsorship means that 20 children from the poorest families are chosen each year to come and be part of the our Future Change Kindergarten.  In return for parents being committed to sending their children to the kindergarten they are helped in many practical ways by the Future Changed Team.  Here are the development stories and home life behind some of the children we are privileged to teach.

‘Little Rainbows’ Kindergarten  – Update July 2024           

 Why does time fly so fast? It is certainly the question we ask ourselves most often at the end of the school year. Time really has flown and now we look back and reflect on all the experiences we have had. Our kindergarten days were certainly not boring, but full of memorable moments, valuable lessons and significant developments. Looking back, we are thankful to God for the grace, strength and health He has given us throughout this year. It has undoubtedly been a year full of challenges, trials and setbacks; there have been times when we laughed and when we cried, times when we felt motivated and energized, achieving our goals, but there have also been days when we felt drained of energy, and when we had to make a considerable effort to mobilize ourselves and move forward.

In June this semester, two new children joined our project: Gavril Emir and Paval Nikolas. From the very beginning, the two of them had difficulties in understanding and respecting the rules and the limits set; Nikolas often burst into fits of crying and anger and Emir had difficulties in sitting on the chair for more than a minute without getting up; he would run, climb the stairs in an area the children are not allowed in, grab any object including the staff’s personal belongings, and, quickly bored with a toy, then snatch other children’s toys out of their hands. This has made it difficult for us to continue with the planned program and was a real challenge, as the other children were already familiar with the classroom routine and rules.

From the psychosocial point of view, the little ones have made good progress; especially the children who are about to leave kindergarten to go to school, who have learned to understand and recognize their emotions and to regulate and express them in an appropriate way. They became more mature, self-controlled and confident in their own strengths and even managed to form close bonds and friendships that will surely continue to remain even after the children leave kindergarten.

From a school point of view, also in this semester we can say that all the children made progress. Two children have made special progress in terms of school this semester and their stories are below.

In terms of creativity, the children have also made progress; this semester we have coloured and painted a lot, and by practicing this activity, the little ones have become more skillful and much more creative in their choice of colors. Some have surprised us with really beautiful and neat works. On the theme “Seasons” in particular, the little ones painted with both brush and fingers and by practicing constantly, they gained confidence in their own skills and developed better fine motor coordination. We also modeled with clay, cut with scissors on the outline and used glue to glue and assemble various paper crafts.

This semester the themes we studied were: “Means of Transportation”, “Seasons”, and “About Animals”. In the “Means of Transportation” theme, the children  learned that “Transportation” helps us get from one place to another! They learned about the different modes of transportation available and the types of vehicles that are used for each method of transportation (land, air, and sea). Not all modes of transportation can get you where you want to go, so understanding which methods of transportation are best for a particular trip is an essential life skill. With the help of brightly colored posters or PowerPoint presentations, the children studied old and new means of transport, going through a chronological journey of transportation through photographs. We didn’t forget road safety either; here too we used colorful posters to remind children of the rules of safe road crossing. Children love transportation and this theme was really fascinating for them.

 “Seasons” come and go; summer is not like winter and fall is not like spring.  We helped the little ones become aware of the changes in nature with a poster depicting trees in all four seasons: Spring, trees begin to bud, new leaves appear and flowers bloom, marking the beginning of a new growth cycle; Summer, trees are full of healthy green leaves, providing shade and full of life; Fall, tree leaves change color, turning yellow, orange and red, and begin to fall; and Winter, trees are bare, leafless, and their branches are often covered in snow or frost, resting until the next spring.

With the theme “About Animals“, the little ones became more aware of the world they live in; children love animals and there will always be a special relationship between them and animals. Through this theme, the children have learned a number of fundamental things, such as respect for animals, responsibility and caring for them, empathy and compassion, as well as the benefits they bring.

‘Ar’

In the beginning, Ar had a slower working and learning pace, needing longer cognitive stimulation and many repetitions; however, thanks to his regular attendance at the kindergarten and his constant commitment to work on his educational book and worksheets, Ar managed to pleasantly surprise us, managing to develop his skills and learn the notions taught. Ar has learned to write, to recognize and to count up to 10; he learned all the letters of the alphabet, to write his own name and many other basic notions necessary for a good preschooler. He is attentive to the instructions given, listens to stories, and often manages to answer questions correctly. Ar has a slower work pace but works cleanly and neatly and has the patience to complete his tasks successfully. Ar is also a role model from a behavioural point of view, as he consistently manages to follow all the rules and boundaries imposed within the kindergarten. This discipline and determination have contributed significantly to his educational progress. Ar will be going to school in September and we believe that he will perform very well in his school years.

‘An‘

An is also a child who has performed very well in the school aspects; she is a capable little girl who is ambitious and eager to achieve the best results. Compared to Armando, An has not managed to have a good attendance this semester; she lives a long distance from the kindergarten and the road to the kindergarten is not paved, which leads to dense mud and impassable roads during rainy weather. This difficult situation affects her ability to participate regularly in the kindergarten activities and therefore to reach her school potential. However, An has amazed us with her remarkable ability to quickly grasp and memorize new concepts and information. An has learned to write, recognize, and count up to 10, as well as all the capital letters of the alphabet. She has learned to write her own name, the geometric shapes, colors, and many other important concepts; she has a fast working pace, is creatively gifted and is able to complete tasks successfully.

‘M’

M. is a smart child with intellectual potential and many developed cognitive skills (memory, creativity, imagination, observation). M likes to get good results and usually comes to the work table on her own initiative. Although she still has a slow pace of work, she performs her tasks successfully, and listens to the teacher’s advices. M likes to write and color in her educational books.

She has a rich vocabulary; quickly memorizes the verses of a poem and likes to play a role. M generally gives correct answers to the questions, proving that she understands the subject and that she is attentive. At Mathematics, M knows the numbers from 1 to 10; likes to count everything around her and recognizes the basic geometric shapes in the objects from class.

From an emotional, social and personal point of view, M had a significant progress. M has a good self-esteem, she is independent and friendly.

‘M’ Family Circumstances

M’s family are 7 children and her mother.  The father has an alcohol addiction, that had led to violent outbursts towards their mother, and after that the parents separated     The mother and the children continue to live in the same house as until now. It is a house with one room and a hallway made in the grandmother’s courtyard. They have wood stove, 3 beds, a small table and a TV set. They have no running water or toilet and, also no have electricity because they were getting it from a neighbor who now won’t give them. The living conditions for so many people are at the limit of subsistence. The monthly income is Children Benefit – 1498 lei and also receives 4 meals daily from a Social Canteen. She has many health problems, neglected due to lack of money or time

Future Changed had supported the family with money for various needs: for one childs glasses, for a semi-automatic washing machine, into which is poured water. They have also been helped with medicine, money for a gas bottle, donations of food, detergent, clothes, children’s shoes and toiletries.  The children were asked if they missed their father and they said NO. The wound they inflicted on their souls through violence and aggression was too deep, and now it’s not healed. Fortunately their mother is a warm and affectionate person, and for the children she is enough.

‘A’

From a social, emotional and personal point of view, ‘A’ has made good progress; he got used to the program, to his classmates, to the activities, to a daily routine; ‘A’ has become more aware of his abilities and recognizes his emotions; he often breaks the rules of the class, becomes noisy, talks without permission during lessons, and sometimes is so distracted by things around him that he doesn’t even realize that someone is shouting his name or is talking to him; his thoughts are elsewhere, and his gaze is blank.

‘A’ no longer has physical tics which he suffered from; he is generally more cooperative and friendly with those around him, is cheerful, involved in almost all activities, and feels good when is appreciated for his achievements; this encourages and motivates him to be more attentive to everything is happening around, to be more quiet, and to try more to do things in the right way.

‘A’ Family Circumstances

His parents are married and have 6 children together. The family recently got married in church because they wanted to take their vows before God. The whole family lives in one rented room for which they pay 600 lei. They have no running water, sewer, bathroom, kitchen or hallway, but only one simple room. There are two double beds, a wardrobe and a table with TV, a stove and a gas cooker.  At the moment the father works in construction industry or other places, without a working contract. They are declaring that the money aren’t enough to pay the rent, to pay for food, pampers for the small children, medication, gas for the stove and other spedings that are needed in a family with many children.  As a wedding gift, we’ve bought them a cleaning machine semi-automatic (in which they are powering water using cans, because they don’t have current water) in order to ease the mother task of cleaning the children’s clothes. We’ve helped them with money for rent and medication for the father has rheumatism.