Roedean students embarked on a “lifechanging experience” to teach English to children from Moldova and the Ukraine this month (July).
The 12 students from years 11 and 12 had been receiving training from Roedean’s EAL teacher for the last six months and went to Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, armed with lesson plans and teaching materials. They taught in pairs, teaching the same class each day, quickly building a rapport with their pupils over the course of four days.
The 62 children they taught were either underprivileged Moldovans, refugees from Ukraine or from Gagauzia, an autonomous region in the south of the country.
The trip was facilitated by NGO Hope4, based in the capital Chişinău, which was set up to support children in dire need and to combat human trafficking and domestic abuse.
One of the Roedean students Angelica Philips said: “This was the trip of a lifetime. Teaching a class of ten children challenged me in ways I wasn’t expecting but the culture and community of the country made this trip so incredible, and it’s the people who made it an unforgettable experience that has changed my life forever.”
This was the second trip the school has made out to Moldova – after the inaugural one last summer it was agreed that they should return every year.
The trip had three elements: teaching English, visiting villages outside the capital Chișinău, and spending time at the Rainbow of Hope orphanage, for which Roedean has been raising funds over the course of the last academic year.
The students also spent time in a warehouse distributing clothes and shoes to displaced families. Many homes have no running water, no modern toilet and just bare earth underfoot.
Student Chaya Lynch said: “My highlight of the week was when we helped pack and distribute resources to families in need, and seeing how much of an impact we could make.”
The last full day of the trip was a visit to the Rainbow of Hope orphanage outside the capital. For last year’s group, this was the most emotional element of the trip, and they agreed then that Roedean should pledge to cover 3% of the orphanage’s annual running costs every year for the next decade.
Deputy head Dr Ross Barrand, who organises the Moldova trips, set the school a target last September to raise £5000 over the course of the year, but the school actually raised £8300, a cheque for which was handed over at the orphanage on the last day.
Chaya added: “ Although we were told this experience would have a huge impact on us, I didn’t completely believe it but on reflection my outlook on life has completely changed, and I’m so grateful to everyone on the trip.”
Categories: Roedean School School News
