Debate on permanent education and PAPI opportunities in Calafindeşti
19.01.2012
| The partnership of RECL Calafindeşti and the Regional Life-long Learning Association Suceava, during the „Festival of Your Chances”, has continued during its last edition. During a meeting of young volunteers for education, it was decided to organise professional training for young mothers |
PAPI Calafindeşti (Suceava) hosted a meeting of young volunteers for education during the week of “Life-long Learning education”, a series of events which is part of the eighth edition of the “Festival of your chances”. “It was the first week of November, and, in keeping with tradition, various institutions and partner organisations have put together events and actions aiming to promote,officially acknowledge and implement the European concept of life-long learning. The 2011 edition was part of the European Volunteering Year, so all events were under the auspices of the Volunteer for Education signature”, RECL manager Rodica Leuciuc says.
The main organiser of the Festival of Your Chances, in Suceava, is the Regional Life-long Learning Association Suceava (AREAS), in partnership with the Prefecture, County Council, County Police Inspectoarate, Anti-Drug Prevention, Evaluation and Counselling Centre Suceava, the `Stefan cel Mare` University, `Diana` Philanthropical Organisation, The Association of Community Development Consultants – ACDC, Regional Resources Centre for NGOs – CENRES Suceava, the KULT-ART Association, the Ecologic Club “Green Origins”, the Institute for Social Partnership Bucovina and the PAPI centres in KEP communities from Bucovina.
The aim of the 8th edition of the festival was presented by AREAS communications manager Alina Stredie. “We wanted to achieve community development by promoting permanent education and inter-cultural learning, supporting adults in rural areas in regards with access to all forms of education, facilitating dialogue and cross borders cooperation in the life-long learning area, organising qualification, requalification and specialty courses with non-discriminatory access for all social categories, and specific activities of social and professional reintegration of persons with psychiatric deficiencies”, she says.
Open dialogue with little volunteers and young mothers
During the meeting at PAPI Calafindeşti, young volunteers showed what education means for them through an artistic moment, while parents talked about the opportunity of organising professional training for young mothers. “The little volunteers were first and fifth graders guided by teachers Profira Caciur and Cristina Lauric. The meeting took place at PAPI, with support from RECL employees. Both parents and other pupils answered the call of our youngest volunteers, who explained through dance and song how much education means in their daily lives. The presence of mothers was very important as we spoke about education for personal development and opportunities that appear when you have adequate professional training. In this context, we created a survey asking if they would be interested in professional training and the areas they would choose. They wrote down tailoring, baking, hairdressing and even IT. They also proposed to organise recreation activites for mums, this year at PAPI” ,Rodica Leuciuc says.
RECL-AREAS partnerships become tradition
Partnerships between KEP communities in Suceava and AREAS date from a few years back and were encouraged by the fact that AREAS president Vasile Petru Gafiuc was the local project coordinator. In 2009, RECLs in Iaslovăţ, Cacica, Ostra, Gălăneşti and Valea Moldovei took part; for 2010 RECLs in Calafindeşti, Grămeşti, Iaslovăţ, Arbore, Vicovu de Sus, Bălcăuţi, Cândeşti, Valea Moldovei and Cacica signed partnerships, through the respective City Halls.
In 2009, the events in the last four days of the festival had the topic of “PAPI, promoter of permanent education in Bucovina villages”, and focused on the activity of PAPI centres in Iaslovăţ, Cacica, Ostra, Gălăneşti and Valea Moldovei. In 2010, youth meetings were scheduled and a dance and essay contest on the topic of „Through education against poverty” was organised.
There should be a PAPI in each locality
Based on the previous partnership, AREAS manager Nicoleta Robciuc is the best person to answer the question “How does one work with RECL?”. The answer was that each village should have a PAPI centre, a RECL manager and an IT admin.
“Personally I am very happy these RECLs exist, because in villages without a PAPI it’s very hard to find someone to take charge of activities like the Festival of Your Chances. I think it’s very well to have such centres in each community. We know for sure we can work with them. Several pilot projects were successful and it’s much easier to work with RECLs than with the City Hall and school, who are not as committed as these RECLs. It is my belief these RECLs can raise the standard of living”, Nicoleta Robciuc says.
Online resources:
Nine PAPIs invited to develop the concept “Bucovina – Region of Learning”
Educational and Development Resource Centres in Marghita and Săcuieni
Keywords: CalafindeştiSuceavavolunteeringeducationtrainingyoung mothersFestival of Your ChancesRegional Life-long Learning Association SuceavaAREAS