FARE Soccer Tournament: In Pictures

FARE: Preparations and the Discoteca

We were recently awarded a grant from FARE, Football Against Racism in Europe, to promote anti-racism in soccer.  Our plan was to get as many youth involved as possible, in order to have the largest possible audience for the message.

Saturday night, we sponsored the discoteca at the village casa de cultura.  Vasile Otel, the executive director of AO INFOTERRA, gave a speech explaining the schedule of events and spoke out against racism, not only in soccer, but in general.  It was a fun time for all, and we used a projector to show music videos throughout the night.  We were pleased by the turnout, as well.  The director of the casa de cultura told us afterwards that it was rare to see so many at the discoteca.

DE YIUA TA PARINTE

  Ziua acasta frumoasa a fost trimisa de natura ca un simbol de dragoste si stima fata de ai doilea parinti , cum ii numeste toata lumea ce a trecut prin usile scolii natale.  Prifesorul , cite ginduri si peripetii ne putem aminti si  analiza acum cind suntem in etate, si cred ca fiecare om amintindusi de cuvintele spuse de profesor se gindeste in sinea sa -de ce nu am invatat mai bine.
   Pentru tot....multumim din suflet si la multi ani cu sanatate, spor in lucru.
Citeva secvente de la sarbatoarea incinata invatatorului in Liceul teoretic Dumitru Matcovschi.

DE ZIUA TA PARINTE

Change is in the Air

Autumn has always been my favorite season.  The turning of the color of leaves, the crisp cool air, the yelling of children at play, it is all magical.  

Autumn is also a time of change.  This year, change comes in the form of new work for the organization.  We will be holding an anti-racism soccer tournament in a few weeks, thanks to a grant from FARE.  Racism here is usually not expressed overtly but takes shape in more subtle forms and prejudices.  We hope to teach the children, while they are still young and impressionable, that racism is not to be tolerated.  We have also been looking for sponsors for our campaign to develop and foster a local ecological conservation movement.  We want to hold a series of seminars to teach children about their local environment and to emphasis the importance of preserving the environment.  We will reinforce this with different contests and competitions on the local Earth Day.

It looks like we might be very busy soon! 

Results of the Summer Reading Campaign

During the summer, I sponsored a reading campaign at the local high school. Students were given reading lists corresponding to their grade level, and had the entire summer vacation to complete that list. Prizes were to be handed out according to the percentage of the list completed. In the fall, participants were tested to confirm that the reading had been done.

I am delighted to report that ten students successfully completed the program. Five read at least 75% of the books on their list, and five read at least 50% of the books on their lists.

Although I had initially wanted to divide the prizes according to the percentage of books completed and give different cash prizes, I have decided instead to take them all on a cultural field trip to the capital, Chisinau. I feel that not only would this be more faithful to the original intention of the campaign, which was to inspire love of learning in children, it would also serve to motivate more children to participate in the next campaign. Also, it would be much more fun than receiving 80 Moldovan Lei.