Preparing children and young people with opportunities to work and earn a living are the goals of vocational education.

In Romania over 2000 young people leave State orphanages or care each year and very few have life skills that are appropriate for adult society let alone good work skills. In Moldova around 1000 young people leave orphanages looking for a future better than their institutional upbringing. Without support and guidance many may end up in crime or even become victims of human trafficking.

In our various field countries we are endeavouring to bring vocational skills to these at risk youngsters. There are courses in English language, computers, sewing, agriculture (crop growing, raising animals, etc.), beekeeping, hairdressing, cooking, and flour and oil pressing. In addition to the training aspect of these courses we are able, in Moldova, to produce a surplus of food that is given to the orphanages. In 2006 for example these are the quantities of the various foods that were distributed:

Potatoes 80.1 tonne, onions 8.6 tonne, Carrots 7.5 tonne, Piglets 1.1 tonne, red beet 1.5 tonne, pork 8.4 tonne, corn flour 11.75 tonne, sunflower oil 3.3 tonne, tomatoes 8 tonne and cabbages 6 tonne.

Help and hope to Eastern Europe