Introduction for the site

WE ARE THE WORLD, WE ARE THE FUTURE!

We are living difficult times. People everywhere are suffering and they need help.
My help, your help, everybody’s help!

Mother Teresa once said:
”We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean.
But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop”.

Maybe we are too young to change the world, maybe we do not have the power to build hospitals, schools and houses or to pass laws to protect the needy people...
But with a common effort, something can be done to support the unfortunate and fight for change.

We can have a different Europe, so let’s ACT NOW!

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Let’s offer the world a helping hand for the future.

OUR WEB SITE IS

www.yuce.k12.tr/eu2010

The Romanian Team

This is a picture of the students who were involved in the project "A helping Hand for the Future"

Poverty Yesterday and Today

Poverty Yesterday and Today

By Ioana Doran 5 A
School 49, Bucharest

In the past people didn’t have money, clothes, homes, food and they didn’t have a family.
Now poor people don’t have what they need and some of them don’t have the possibility to work. For pooor children is the one that allow them to go to school and learn, although they want to. There are children who would like to go to school, but they can’t buy everything they need. So, they stay at home. They don’t go to school anymore, because they feel embarrassed.
There are some differences between what poverty meant in the past and what poverty means today. I think that the most important one is that now, unfortunately, few people want to help.
In the past people helped a lot, although they weren’ very rich.
Today not many people help, although they are rich. They have everything they need, but they are not willing to share.
For me, poverty also means being afraid, because homeless people live in the streets and many bad things can happen to them.

“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn't commit.”
~Eli Khamarov, Lives of the Cognoscenti

Rich and Poor - Maria Jurj

Rich and Poor

by Maria Jurj 5A
School 49, Bucharest

I will tell you a story about two girls: one rich and one poor.

Rich girl

I am a very happy girl! I believe I have everything I can think of: a huge, luxurious house, very expensive dolls or any other toys and expensive, nice clothes.
My mom and my dad work abroad (New York, USA) and I don’t see much of them… I only visit them there from time to time, but I got used to it now…
Well school? What’s this? Oh, yes! I go to school when I have time! I have to go to the mall and buy new things that make me happy first! Homework? Unfortunately I don’t have time for it, either. No problem! Why worry now? I will do it later! I’m busy, I’m going to the travel agency to buy a ticket for New York!
Isn’t it great?

Poor girl

Hello! Let me introduce myself… I am… a girl like any other.. I am… Oh, sorry I’m in such a hurry, but I don’t have enough time: besides my homework for tomorrow and the extra work in math (I’m going to a school contest!) I have to go shopping for fruit and vegetables for my neighbour, lady Mary, who is alone and old. She offers me some money when I help her. This way I can buy bread and sweets for my little brother and sister. So you could say that… I have a job
My mother? Oh, she works very hard in a factory till 11 pm. Unfortunately, my dad died last year, so I have to help my mother. I also do some housework when I can.
I must go now. It’s time for me to buy a newspaper for Mr. Johnson. He is our neighbour, too. He gives us honey from time to time.
I am so happy that I can do something for my family and my friends! When I grow up, I will work hard, too, and I hope I will earn a lot of money for me and my family.

***


Now just think about this… Who do you think is the happiest?

Poverty in the world

Facts about Poverty in the World

• At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
• Water problems affect half of humanity: some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
• 1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity
• For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment.
• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
• According to UNICEF, 24,000 children die each day due to poverty.
• Based on enrolment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls.
• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
• Of the 2.2 billion children in the world, 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world).
• 640 million children live without adequate shelter
• 400 million children have no access to safe water
• 270 million children have no access to health services
• The number of children out of education worldwide reaches 121 million
• The European Union is one of the richest areas in the world, but still 17% of EU citizens have such limited resources that they cannot afford the basics. More than 165 million people in Europe live below the poverty line.

Resources:

State of the World’s Children, UNICEF
World Development Indicators 2008, World Bank, August 2008
Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, United Nations

the New Year's Party in Sarayköy Rehabilitation Center

Yüce College students Ilayda Barbaros and Elmas Barsan organized the New Year's Party in Sarayköy Rehabilitation Center for the Mentally Disabled children. The party started with the Pop concerts staged at the High School Conference Room and all students danced together. Students gave the new year gifts that they bought with the money collected in between , these gifts were distributed to the disabled students with the lottery. (31.12.2009)

The Books reached to the Students

The books collected by the Photography Club and Social Assistance and Solidarity Clup reached their friendst in Agri Diyadin. (08.01.2010)

VISITING TO NURSING HOME

Yüce Science High School and Yüce High School Social Assistance and Solidarity Club students visited Seyranbağları Nursing Home. (01.03.2010)

VISITING TO NURSING HOME

Yüce Primary School students from 4A-4B-4C classes visited to the Suleyman Demirel Nursing home in "Social Community Service" project, . They collected money among themselves and with this money they received three pieces of laundry machines. Gifts and flowers were presented with great respect to nursing home residents. (26.03.2010)

Helping to Inal Nedim Primary School

Yüce Primary School 5th grade students studies under the Community Services were presented tracksuit to Nedim Inal Primary School students. Through these projects, they have a better understanding of the importance of solidarity. The Friends who studied at Inal Nedim Primary School also prepare gift cards were on their friendship and peace. (21.04.2010)

BOOK CAMPAIGN

Yüce Primary School Social Solidarity Clup and Photography Club work together to help poor students in Diyadin. They took photos of their friends with the new year tree and collect money to buy books to send them. (23.12.2009)

HELPING HAND

Yüce High School Students collected the money to help students of Mehmet İçkale Primary School in Ankara. They bought shoes as present. Approximately 90 students of YUCE HIGH SCHOOL have once again emphasized the importance of social solidarity. ( 01.12.2009)

HELP CAMPAIGN

Yuce High School students add one more to their helping activities. They bought foods from their home and sell them to their teachers and friends, and they gave collected money to Turkish National Social Assistance and Solidarity Association. (23.02.2010)

Romania

Romania


Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central- and Southeastern Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south.

Romania is a semi-presidential unitary state.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain and the 1989 Revolution, Romania started a series of political and economic reforms and joined the European Union on January 1, 2007.

Romania has the 9th largest territory and the 7th largest population (with 21.5 million people) among the European Union member states. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the 6th largest city in the EU with 1.9 million people. Romania also joined NATO on March 29, 2004, and is also a member of the Latin Union, of the Francophonie, of the OSCE and of the United Nations.

The dominant religious body is the Romanian Orthodox Church.

The official language of Romania is Romanian, an Eastern Romance language related to Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Catalan.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romania

Poverty in Romania

Untitled from Adriana Ivascu on Vimeo.

Poverty in the EU

From Eurostat Statistics in Focus 2009 and World Bank, we collected information about Poverty in the EU. Here is the result...

Fighting Poverty

Poverty from Adriana Ivascu on Vimeo.

More thoughts

Poverty and social exclusion are very actual topics today, but a lot of people don't want to see the them.
Tinkara, grade 6

The main reason for poorness are unemployment is bad politics. Our country gives a lot of money for the army. This money would be better spent if they gave it to poor people and found new employment options.
Matic, grade 9

I am not poor. My parents have a jo band we have a house, a car and everything that we need for normal life. We don't miss anything. I am very happy, because my brother, my parents and I are healthy. I can say we only see poorness on TV.
Luka, grade 7


Poorness in Slovenia endargers forty percent of Slovenian people, most of them are children who can not go on their vacations. Every day 79 milion people in Europe ask themselves the some
question: 'Do I have enought money for food and education for my children?
Tina, grade 8

Ariadna Titieni - Poorness and Richness

Poorness and Richness

“ Remember that everyone you meet in this life has something to teach you.”

I think poorness means that somebody hasn’t got something, no matter if it is money, education, food, clothes, friends and so on…

Being poor means more than not having money for a car, for clothes or even worse, for food! People are poor when they are not happy.

The rich think that the poor are just people who aren’t like them, but that’s not right. They will be poor of friends if they continue thinking like this. For both rich and poor people richness means having money, having servants or being very powerful. But you can interpret richness in another way. If you have many friends you are rich of friends, if somebody loves you, you are rich of love. Having or not having money doesn’t make you rich or poor. You have to look inside people’s hearts and see what’s in there, richness or poorness. This is the real meaning of these words.

If somebody is poor of something you have to cry for him and help him, not laugh at him. If somebody is rich of something you have to be glad for him, and not sad or envious because you don’t have the same thing.

I think that rich people (of money) should help financially the poor people (of money). But what if you yourself are not rich of money? Can’t you help people anymore? Of course you can! The people who are rich of something should try to help those who are poor of the same thing, so that they can became rich of it, too. If your heart is rich of love, don’t hesitate to offer it to others who need it, like the children in orphanages. If your head is rich of knowledge, try to teach the others what you yourself have learned through the years. Help a child learn how to read and write and you will also feel rich… in spirit.

“ Listen to your conscience: it will tell you how much to give.”

Poverty

Iulia Samihaian
School 49 Bucharest

Poverty means not having the means for basic human needs (for example, food, water, clothes, shelter).

In the past, especially before the industrial revolution, there were many poor people around the world. The poor had no land, no animals, and so they could not live a decent life. The poor families couldn’t afford to let their children go to school. They didn’t have clean water, health care and many of them got sick. The church used to help poor people in the past. Sometimes the rich also helped those who were in need.

After the wars, poverty spread in a lot of countries, because the economy was down.

Today, poverty is usually associated with not having a job or not having enough money to afford decent conditions for living. Some do not have access to information or to education. In many parts of the world there are people who still have little food, no health care, no clean water.

Today there are more social institutions that take care of those in need. The unemployed receive an unemployment income, there are shelters for people that don’t have a house, there are canteens for the poor, volunteers who take care of the health and education of the poor.

In Romania there are poor people especially in the country-side. Many peasants leave in very poor conditions: they have no running water, no health care, no means to work their land. Many poor children abandon school. In the cities, the unemployed and homeless are given more support.

POOR AND RICH

by Ata BAYKARA

Poverty in My Eyes

by Alice Lupascu
School 49, Bucharest, Romania

I think that the poor are very unhappy people. They often feel rejected and alone. In my opinion, the poor people must be respected and helped.

Today, the poor people are not as many as in the past, but they still need help. Many of them were born poor, and they cannot do anything to change this. That’s why they need help.

There are a lot of orphans in this world… this is a very sad fact. The orphans have no parents, they live with relatives or in an orphanage. I think they are not very happy, and you can say that they are poor because they do not have family love and support. So they must be helped.

All of them are just people like us and if we were poor, we would like somebody to help us.

I always try to help the poor people, because I want this world to be better. Maybe they have no house, no school, no money and no family, but what is important is to make them feel that they are not alone, that we are trying to help them and make them happy.

Poverty

Laura Vatui
School 49, Bucharest, Romania

What did poverty mean in the past?
In the past, poverty meant that people had no house, no food or just not enough money. In the past people were poorer than now, but they helped each other more. They worked together, they shared things and they were willing to give more.

What does poverty mean today?
This is a question we can answer easily because nowadays there are many poor people.
For many people today, poverty means that you can’t pay your bills, you can’t buy expensive clothes, you haven’t got a big house or you just can’t buy what you want when you want. But there is another type of poverty; it’s when you don’t have a house to live in or you don’t have the every-day food. This is something we don’t want to hear about, but it is real and it is very painful.

How did people use to help each other in the past?
In the past there weren’t special organizations or houses for poor people, so people helped each other by visiting and giving food to each other.

How can you help people in need nowadays?
Nowadays we can donate food, clothes and toys to some special centres for people in need. There are charity organizations such as “Save the Children” or “The Romanian Red Cross”.

Unfortunately, poverty was and still is an awful phenomenon which humanity does not seem able to defeat.

Catalina Munteanu
School 49, Bucharest

Roxana Caia
School 49, Bucharest, Romania

Rares Rusu
School 49, Bucharest, Romania

Poverty

Iuliana Nyerges
School 49, Bucharest, Romania

Poverty now and then

Trying to understand poverty, our student read a lot about it and they talked to parents, grandparents, teachers and neighbours. In the end, they were able to give their own definitions on poverty and they expressed their feelings and opinions in writing.

Created by: Lorenzo Giovanni Zurini
School 49 Bucharest, Romania

BANNER SUGESTIONS

Hi friends,
Our students made two banners, may be we can use both of them.. What is your opinion?

made by Mete DURLU

Made by Aykut DEMİR

Karitas - workshop, 2004

Karitas - visit of the Santa Claus, 2004

Karitas - a picnic at the end of the school year, 2006

Karitas - a visit at the nursary home, 2009

Karitas- Group Bejž če uejdeš in action

Red Cross - First Aid Course, 1956

Red Cross - after a blood donation campaign, 1956

Red Cross - a visit to the elderly, 1966

Acnowledgment given to one of the members of the Red Cross in Pivka

The Romanian Project Team

The School



School 49, located in the residential district Vatra Luminoasa (The Bright / Illuminated Establishment), was founded in September 1957.
It is a comprehensive school providing primary and secondary education to students aged 7 to 14/15. There are about 800 students and 53 teachers in our school. It is a well-known educational institution due to the students’ good results in all national examinations and school contests. When they graduate, our students go to renowned high schools and they are always proud of having attended School 49

The Project Team



Who are we?
We are students in a school of high reputation in Bucharest, guided by our devoted teachers who supported and encouraged us all the time.

The teachers: Mrs. Narcisa Petrescu – Physics teacher
Mrs. Adriana Ivascu – English teacher

The students: Ariadna Titieni, Alice Lupascu, Iuliana Nyerges, Roxana Caia, Maria Jurj,Ioana Doran, Rares Rusu, Iulia Samihaian, Laura Vatui, Lorenzo Zurini

Maria Jurj 5 A

My name is Mary and I am 10 years old. My favourite subjects are Romanian, Art, Biology and, of course, English!
I wear glasses and I love the latest fashion. I know that you will laugh, but I still like cartoons like W.O.W.P. I like Jonas Brothers, too.
I like shopping, watching TV and reading. My life is wonderful and always full of surprises!

Ioana Doran 5 A



My name is Ioana and I’m 11 years old. I’ve got dark hair and blue eyes. So, you see, my favourite colour is blue!
I like going to school (but I think that holidays are great!) and I have good marks. My favourite school subjects are Maths and English.
I enjoy eating pizza and watching films with Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Catherine Zeta-Jones. My favourite book is ”The Host”, by Stephenie Meyer. I think the best singer is Miley Cyrus, but I also like Taylor Swift, Green Day, The Killers, etc.
In my spare time I like going roller skating, watching TV, riding my bike or listening to music.
This is me!


Alice Lupascu



My name is Alice, but I’m not from Wonderland! I come from Bucharest, Romania and I study at School 49. I am eleven years old. I’ve got brown hair and black eyes. I am tall and slim and I think I’ve got a friendly smile.
I like many things, but most of all I love animals. I had a Labrador retriever which died last summer, and now I have a cat and another dog. Their names are Garfield and Daisy and they are very funny.
I like dancing, playing basketball, tennis and badminton. I usually spend my free time in the park.
I haven’t got any brothers or sisters, but I have a lot of cousins. I also have a lot of friends and I like them very much.
I hope you’ll enjoy my work on this site!

Ariadna Titieni



My name is Ariadna Titieni. I’m ten years old and I live in Romania, Bucharest. I’m in class 5 A at School 49.
My favorite colors are blue and violet. I like pizza, but pasta is my favorite food. Fresh orange juice is O.K., but my favorite juice is lemonade. My favorite singer is Miley Cyrus and my favorite movie is Mamma Mia. My favorite sport is tennis, but I also like badminton and basketball. I don’t like football. It is for boys…
The subjects I like best at school are Maths, English, Biology and Geography.
In my free time I love singing, composing songs, reading, watching TV and going to the cinema or theatre. When I grow up I’d like to be a scientist at NSA.
Well, that’s all about me now. If you want to know more, e-mail me

Iuliana Nyerges



My name is Julianne (the original spelling is “Iuliana”, but I like Julianne better) I’m 11 years old and I’m from Romania. One important thing you should know about me is that I’m the calmest person I know and I consider myself an energetic funny girl. I’ve got pretty long light brown hair and perfect deep green eyes. My greatest wish is that, one day I would see myself in a British collage, studying and being happy.
I love animals and I have a funny little dog named Toto (Where is the name from? 2 years ago, I acted in a play named “The Wizard of Oz”, and I played Toto. My little dog was brought to me when I finished a rehearsal). My favorite food is the Italian one because I think it’s really tasty and a bit healthier than others. My favorite subject is English (of course in my opinion here at school, we study it very slowly, but it’s a good way to practice).
There are many things I could say about me and so little time. Hope you like me! Kisses!

Rares Rusu



Hi! My name is Rares, I am 11 years old and I study at school 49. I am quite tall, (1,63 m) and slim. I like playing Basketball and computer games. I hate super smart, self-important kids and annoying people. I also like listening to music. My favorite kinds of music are Rap, Hip-Hop, Rock and Jazz. I hate classical and pop music. My favorite rock band is 3 dors down and AC/DC. I like art, too, especially graffiti art. My favorite sports are Basketball, skateboarding, bowling, skateing, and snowboarding. I like reading, too. In my free time I train at a basketball club, I watch TV, I play outside and have fun with my friends.
That is all about me. I hope you will like my presentation and my personality too!

Roxana Caia



Hello! My name is Roxana and I am eleven years old. I come from Bucharest, Romania. I am a very friendly and creative girl. Here are some more things about me.
I am a fashion victim. Fashion is my life, and hopefully my future job. I like designing clothes and making outfits. I think this is kind of a genetic thing, as my mom works in this industry.
Music is my passion. I listen to music every day, but I sometimes get obsessed with some songs. My favourite bands are The Cranberries, The Killers, Paramore, Jonas Brothers and Kings of Leon. My favourite singer is Demi Lovato but I also like some songs from Miley Cyrus. A good song for me means clever lyrics and a good beat.
I am a very artistic girl. I love theatre and I really want to do something about this hobby. My favourite Romanian actors are Oana Pellea and Radu Beligan, two wonderful people I admire with all my heart. But, though I love these two actors, my model in life is the great, beautiful and kind Audrey Hepburn. She was fantastic, and I really think she was a great actress.
I don't think I look like one, but seriously, I love being a mini-writer. This is a very, very relaxing thing, and I get addicted to it the more I write. I don't only write books, but I also like writing songs. Songs that can express my feelings, my thoughts or my dreams. My friends tell me I should publish them, but I don't know if someone would like them.
Well, I think you're already bored reading this huge article about me. But this is me, and I will never change. I'll always be the same. Kisses, Roxy

Catalina Munteanu



My name is Catalina. I am eleven years old. I am from Bucharest, Romania. I am a student at school 49. My favourite school subject is English .
I am quite tall and I have got blue eyes. My hair is brown. Our family friends say that I look like my mother.
I have got a dog. Its name is Sui. It is very funny. It is white and black.
I like pizza very much. It is my favourite food, but I don’t like soup.
I can dance and ski but I can’t play football or paint. My favourite sport is tennis but I can’t play it. I only watch it on TV when I have free time.
I hate going to the doctor and going to the dentist.
I am a happy girl.


Laura Vatui

My name is Laura Vatui, I am 12 years old and I am from Bucharest Romania. I like doing many things like sports, painting, dancing, sometimes reading and listening to music. My favourite subjects are English and Romanian; my favourite colours are purple, turquoise, blue and black and I am a very friendly person. That’s me!

Lorenzo Giovanni Zurini

My name is Lorenzo Giovanni Zurini and I am 13. I come from Italy, but I live and study in Romania, at School49, in Bucharest.
My favourite subjects at school (besides English), are Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Grammar, Computer Studies and Physics. I hate P.E. and Art because I always get bed marks in these two subjects.
I have a very busy life; I never have time to get bored. I study hard for school, I read, I listen to music and I watch TV. I play computer games, too! I'm just like any boy of my age!

Iulia Samihaian

I am Iulia Samihaian, I am 12 years old and I am in the 6-th grade. I've got brown hair and brown eyes and I am tall and slim.
I have been studying English since I was in the kindergarten and I like it very much. But I also like Romanian and P.E. I enjoy doing projects and preparing presentations and I hope I will learn more in the future.

Charity in Pivka and around

Our students have done some research on history of some charity organisations in their home town and nearby villages.

RED CROSS
The records about Red Cross activity around Pivka date in school year 1914/1915. Teachers and students at school were sewing and nitting clothes for soldiers. During the first world war students were also collecting food for Red Cross. Teachers and students were collecting money and gifts for the soldiers at the front. They were given many acknowledgements for their work.
In the 1940s Red Cross was present in most of the villages around Postojna and Pivka. Doctors and nurses were also working for Red Cross and blood donation campaigns were organized. They were also collecting supplies for people (especially during and after the WW2, when a lot of people lost all their possesion). In the 2nd half of the 20th century the members of RC also organized many charity concerts and they helped people to rebuild their homes after severe earthquake in 1970s. In the 1980s young members of RC were helping the old and disabled people. They also provided poor students with school supplies, clothes and food, they organized trips and holidays for children whose parents couldn't afford it ...

KARITAS
Karitas in Slovenia evolved from 'PO Box of Kindness' which was founded in 1969 by a Catholic magazine. In Pivka Karitas started to work in 1991, when a group of young katholic democrats decided that they wanted to help others. They were collecting food at various stores. In warehouses packages were made and sent to people who needed supplies. After the war in Bosnia and Croatia in 1993 there were many refugees who needed help in our area. People who work for Karitas are volunteers and they organize all sorts of activities to collect money. Today they help people who lost their jobs, old and lonely people. They also collect clothes, furniture, they lend hospital beds and other supplies. High school students and other volunteers help elementary school pupils with their homework and studying. They also organize various workshops. Once a year they pay a visit to the residents of nursary home in Postojna. They also take part in other charity activities - this year they were also collecting supplies for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
Here are some thoughts about poverty by mr. Marjan Škvarč, the minister in Pivka:
'People are considered poor if they aren't able to live a normal life. People are poor if they don't have enough money to buy food, clothes, a place to live ... In the past, people were considered poor if they didn't have their own farmland or a job to provide enough food. Nowadays in the western world the situation is different. People are used to spend more, so every limitation is considered as poverty. There is less solidarity than in the past. People used to help each other at their everyday tasks. In the villages people still help each other but in the cities they don't know each other and they don't know if their neighbour needs help. Karitas helps people with food packages and clothes, we also counsel them if they have family problems etc. We also help in missions all around the world.'
Within Karitas in Pivka there's also a group of twelve enthusiasts 'Bejš če uejdeš', who literally build roofs above people's heads. They helped to a lot of people in Slovenia and worldwide (South America, Asia, Africa).

Survey results

More thoughts and pictures about poverty

Ana: Poverty means that people don't have money for food and school supplies.

Nika: Poverty is horrible. It means that you have no home, food and clothes.

Patrik: Poverty is bad. You can't afford anything special, you only have one thing.

Katarina: Poverty means that people have no home, they don't have enough money to buy food and they beg in the streets.

Matej F.: Poverty means that you don't have money, food and water.
Pictures by: Kristjan D., Maja, Paulina, Kristjan K.