About 14 schools in rural areas from Constanța county were connected to the internet and equipped with laptops and overhead projectors to facilitate quality education and online courses when needed for over 3,000 children enrolled in secondary and high-school education. The project, implemented by the company in partnership with the Dăruiește Aripi Association, was initiated in 2020 during the pandemic and continued well into 2021.
The schools are located in Mircea Vodă, Topraisar, Amzacea, Corbu, Movilița, Potârnichea, Biruința, Dunăreni, Vlahi, Aliman, Ion Corvin, Albești, Cotu Văii in Constanța, but also in Țigveni, Argeș.
“The exceptional situation generated by the pandemic affected many children, who got isolated in their communities without any possibility to attend classes. And we know that in rural areas a temporary school dropout can become permanent. As we believe in equity and community development through education, we supported these rural areas to give children the chance to continue school also in an online format when needed,” says Iskander Abdibaitov, Chief Officer Corporate Development, Rompetrol.
About 3,181 children have now access to new teaching support and internet connection to browse for additional information when at schools and extensive support for online classes in case of pandemic restrictions. At the level of Constanta county 108,490 students are registered in grades 0 – VIII, in both urban and rural areas.
“Children are unstoppable, but we need to give them wings to find their way; for many children from vulnerable communities, education is their only chance to fly above the limitations posed by their environment. We are happy to have partners like Rompetrol, understanding the importance of school attendace and classes, regardless of the difficulties we all face,” adds Alina Pătrăhău, President of the Dăruiește Aripi Association.
Rompetrol has supported the medical sector for an efficient management of the coronavirus pandemic through various projects in Constanța, Prahova counties, Bucharest, and other centers at national level. Additionally the company concluded collaborations with several NGOs such as Teach for Romania, AVE etc. to support quality education in remote areas, but also academic partnerships with Ovidius University of Constanta to refurbish the chemistry lab and Oil & Gas University of Ploiești.
The total investments of Rompetrol in community projects from the start of the pandemic to the current time exceed 2 million USD, half of the amount being allocated to the communities of Constanta and Prahova.