We are committed to supporting 50 young women from rural areas in a pilot program developed with World Vision, through which we help girls develop life skills and become agents of change in their communities.

The pilot program runs throughout the school year and addresses four main areas:

  • Well-being through educating young women

  • Violence: understanding the problem and identifying solutions
  • Vocational guidance
  • Psychological, school and social counseling

“Rural Youth: Agents of Change” is the name of the program that Alka will support throughout the 2021-2022 school year. The project is carried out by the World Vision Romania Foundation and addresses social and educational problems and helps high school girls from rural communities to develop life skills and shape their professional path.

The program addresses psychological, vocational and life skills development issues that benefit 50 girls in the 11th grade, who come from ten rural communities in Ialomița County.

Alka decided to get involved in such a program because we truly believe that girls and women are agents of change for a society, where education is an essential pillar of the well-being of every family.

In the countryside of 2021, prejudices and clichés still guide the lives of young women and influence decisions and destinies. Under the direct influence are also the students from rural areas who make considerable efforts to break the vicious circle generated by these and to reach high school and continue their studies. At the same time, the socio-economic context of the families they come from and the occupational status of the parents are added, aspects that contribute to the quality of the education of the young women.

Once they arrive in the city, at high school, the walls that these young women have to break are multiple, and the aspects listed above directly influence them and accompany them in their relationship with others. From the teacher’s prejudice regarding the poor student from rural areas vs. the one in the city, to the discrimination made by classmates based on clothing and degree of personal hygiene, to shyness and low self-esteem, to the lack of experience and naivety in relationships with others, to the taking over of prejudices and clichés from the family, all these aspects make high school life difficult for rural students and increase the chances that they will abandon high school or encounter dangerous life situations.

For all these reasons, personal education and care sessions, group sessions on the psychological area for self-knowledge and self-esteem growth, combating violence are essential directions of intervention to support rural students – the employees of tomorrow.

School dropout leads to unemployment, social exclusion, poverty and health problems. There are many reasons that could explain why some young women give up their studies too early:

  • personal or family problems

  • learning and adaptation difficulties
  • poor socio-economic situations
  • lack of trust and mentors