Concordia Romania

For ten years now we have been partnering with the CONCORDIA Social Projects organisation, which is committed to improving living conditions for disadvantaged children and young people and their families in southeastern Europe.

Initially funding was provided by the Franz-W. Aumund-Stiftung but since 2020 we have been supporting CONCORDIA via the Aumund Foundation. Currently we are focusing on the Edu-Campus project in Ploiesti, which is a good hour’s drive from Bucharest, and comprises a primary school and a vocational school.

We would have loved to attend the campus opening ceremony in 2020, however Covid of course thwarted our plans. But in November 2023 during our trip to southeastern Europe we were all the more impressed when we were able to see for ourselves the work being carried out.

Whilst approximately 50% of the primary school students on the Edu-Campus are children from marginalised families, the vocational school is oriented almost exclusively towards youths and young adults from the “social protection system”. For the nine-month duration of their apprenticeship the young people are not only trained to work in gastronomy, bakery and horticulture, but in the ancillary “school for life” they learn to overcome everyday challenges such as how to open a bank account and plan personal finances, how to arrive at work on time very day, and how to communicate with superiors. In 2024 the Aumund Foundation financed a whole class of apprentices qualifying as “gastronomy specialists”.

A moving surprise awaited us at the end of the campus tour. As a Christian organisation CONCORDIA has a tradition of planting a tree to commemorate deceased patrons. We were able to actively participate in the ceremony and witness the esteem in which our Founder was held.

In 2024, changes in national legislation regarding the financing of living expenses for young people who have spent part of their lives in residential care (care leavers) presented the organization with a major challenge. Now, the Aumund Foundation is a proud partner in the three-year pilot project for the new structure as a vocational center. CONCORDIA collaborates with seven local vocational schools and, as a valuable complement to classroom theory, is responsible for the practical training of at least 170 young people aged 14 to 19 each year. At the EduCampus, these young people are not only prepared for their future careers as skilled workers in the hospitality, baking, and horticulture sectors. In the accompanying “School for Life,” they learn how to manage everyday life: How do I open a bank account and plan my finances? How do I arrive at work on time every day? How do I communicate with supervisors?

The aim is to provide real support, especially for young people from vulnerable families, in their career choices and personal development, and to sustainably reduce the high school dropout rate.