Summary Buftea is a town situated 20 km northwest of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It has two notably impoverished neighborhoods, Buciumeni and Flămânzeni, which are described as “extreme poverty pockets” and are predominantly inhabited by members of the Roma ethnic group who experience social exclusion and community segregation. The children from these vulnerable communities attend schools where the quality of education is often low. In this context, the BufKids Community Center and Cafeteria were developed, as a result of a complex collaboration: • Municipality of Buftea, which provided the land on which the establishments were built • Hercules Association, which manages the BufKids Community Center and Cafeteria • Habitat for Humanity Romania, which coordinated the building process • Corporate sponsors that funded the building process, of which PENNY Romania is a strategic partner The BufKids establishments facilitate 50 vulnerable children per year, aged 6-14, who are at risk of dropping out of school due to the social and economic challenges faced by their families. The main goals of this complex initiative are: • Preventing school dropout and developing the ability to learn among children from families with serious socio-financial problems: after school, reading or IT clubs, informal education activities • Raising the educational level and developing the social skills of children – through non-formal education activities, extracurricular activities, all carried out in a warm and friendly environment. • Increasing the quality of children’s lives: material aid consisting of providing children with books, supplies, clothing, daily hot meals, access to medical services, psychological assistance) • Developing parenting skills among parents • Community involvement in children’s education with the help of volunteers (including teachers) and by developing partnerships • Quality Control of nutrition – direct oversight ensures nutritious, high-quality meals, promoting healthier habits among children • Cost Efficiency – transitioning to an in-house cafeteria model reduces food provision expenses, allowing the Hercules Association to reallocate funds for other projects The complex project commenced in 2018 by building the Bufkids Educational Center, which was inaugurated in 2020, but due to Covid-19 restrictions the educational activities were carried out remotely during the social restrictions. In January 2022, work began on the second building, which will consist of a kitchen and cafeteria, which was inaugurated in 2024. Timeline: 2020 inauguration of Educational Center (remote activities) 2024 inauguration of Cafeteria 2018 building of Educational Center starts 2022 building of Cafeteria starts As part of the project, 63 PENNY volunteers helped in 2023 with the construction works for the Canteen, during 2 volunteer events. Thus, in August, 33 Penny volunteers helped on the site at plasterboard cladding, grouting and reinforcement workshops for the structure of the connecting body. In September, 30 volunteers helped on the construction site to apply decorative plaster and continue the workshops inside. Apart from these activities, PENNY Romania has also supported the BufKids project by organizing gifts collection activities for the children.
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