Hi Melissa,

Our school is in Cimiseni (chee-mee-SHAYN), Moldova. It is called "King Mihai I" after the king of
Romania. Our school has grades 1-9 and about 220 students. I teach English to about 170 of
those students.

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, and our small rural village is no exception. Our
village officially has just under 4000 residents, but due to major population decline in recent
years, the true population is estimated to be around 2,500. About half of the children at my
school have one or both parents living/working abroad. Average household monthly income in
moldova is about $250.

Most of my students come to school every day with notebooks and pens, but they are often
very limited. We find that our students have few resources to do creative projects. Additionally,
about a quarter of the families in our school are considered "socially vulnerable." These
children are sometimes orphans of the state and may not be getting three meals a day. They're
also at a higher risk of violence at home. For these children, school can be the safest place for
them. Several of our poorest students have to work long hours after school cleaning and doing
yard work. Life in Moldova is difficult, but it is especially difficult for socially vulnerable children.

The children from socially vulnerable families often come to school without any of the
necessary supplies to succeed. They're without pens or copybooks, rulers, markers, or pencil
boxes. Their classmates are always very generous and lend out spare pens and paper, but the
lack of resources makes it nearly impossible for these students to complete homework tasks or
fully participate in classes. Additionally, the stigma attached to not having school supplies is
harmful to their confidence and motivation.

Education is the key to improving one's life situation. I know this, and my students know this.
But even education is not accessible to some children in my village because they don't have the
supplies they need to succeed.

We have a lot of fun in our English classes- we read and write and listen to music and speak
English. Anything that will improve the educational experience of my students will also improve
their lives as a whole!

Sincerely,

Natalie