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Before & After
Renovated building now houses Roma group’s educational programs
Dream of Learning Center Comes True
Photo: Apryl Gibson/ Peace Corps
Before: The Future Foundation found an abandoned preschool building and had ideas how to transform the worn-out rooms into a classroom, library, computer center, office, and conference room.
Photo: Apryl Gibson/ Peace Corps/div>
After: After six months of intensive refurbishing, the building is now a learning center for the local Roma community, offering classes to children and information and resources to parents.
For six years, the people of the Future Foundation in the town of Rakitovo dreamed of an educational center. They imagined a place where children and parents could pursue knowledge as part of the foundation’s work to achieve higher living standards for the local Roma community. Peace Corps volunteer Apryl Gibson helped the non-governmental organization apply for a USAID small projects assistance grant, which it received. Meanwhile, the Rakitovo municipality agreed to rent a building for the site at a discount. Young volunteers brainstormed ideas for activities in the center, and parents around town promised to help create the center. Now open, the Educational and Informational Center for Children and Parents offers dozens of local children English, Spanish, art and computer classes in the center. The center also informs parents of the local government structure and of their rights, and encourages community groups, schools and young people to develop projects.
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