On the International Day of the Children’s Rights, November 20th 2013, thanks to a project organized by Terre des Hommes Foundation, twelve children from the Fountain of Hope participated in a special event. The project’s main goal was to facilitate the children’s in preparing for their future careers and participating actively in the community they live in.
Over a week’s time, the selected children had the opportunity to have a real-life experience of a job of their choosing and to make real-life decisions just like adults, for a whole day. Fire fighters, police officers, waiters, pastry chefs, make-up artists and doctors had the chance to meet their future collegues. Each child had a mentor that shared with them some of the “behind-the-scenes” secrets of their profession. The children had the opportunity to experience throughout the day both the responsibilities as well as the rewards of the job.
The adults at the Fountain of Hope were in a state of suspense to see how this unusual week would turn out – but we were quite pleased to discover that the children performed remarkably well! The project was a success. The children were very excited and nervous at the start – but they soon loosened up and did their jobs responsibly and whole-heartedly.
The project climaxed on November 20th, when the commander of the Emergency Services of Buzau invited us to participate at an event that took place in their headquarters in the city. We had the opportunity to watch simulations of different situations where emergency workers have to intervene. Then, the commander invited us to take a tour of the building. This moment was unforgettable and amazed all of us – both adults and children. We followed in the footsteps of the emergency workers from the room where they receive the emergency calls, all the way to the place where the vehicles exit the headquarters and head for the site of the emergency. It was an impressive feeling to witness the risks of this job and we appreciated how they take care of us and protect us in dangerous situations. The children admired the courage and devotion of the Emergency Service employees, and were inspired to offer their help in the future – learning how to respond calmly and positively in an emergency and call the intervention team.
We ended the day in a restaurant where we treated ourselves to an enormous pizza and a delicious dessert. Then we headed for the train, where again everybody had a great time. We returned home late at night, tired, but with lovely memories and experiences that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Financed by Terre des Hommes