The first week in July saw Roedean’s third visit to Moldova, Europe’s poorest country, where twelve students from Years 11 and 12 taught English to eighty under-privileged children, some from Moldova and others who are refugees from the Ukraine and Syria.

Derin, Elspeth, Farah, Hunny, Lydia, Mary, Nathania, Olivia, Poppy, Rhea, Sam, and Zaha did something extraordinary – they stepped way out of their comfort zones, went to a country they knew little about and whose language they could not speak, and they delivered their first ever English lessons, and they did it so well. These Roedean students are not teachers, but it was wonderful to see them grow in confidence as the week progressed, trusting in the skills and techniques which they had learnt from Sarah Howson, Head of EAL, in their weekly sessions since January. They learnt to adapt in response to the children’s engagement, to move on if something wasn’t working, and to develop their planned tasks on the hoof. Poppy said:

‘This trip not only inspired me, but uncovered abilities that I didn’t even know I had. Being able to stand up in a classroom and make an impact was definitely a massive highlight for me.’

It was also fantastic to see the rapid improvement in the children’s English over the course of a very short time, and to watch a rapport build between teachers and students. This was perhaps all the more impressive since some of the students were 17 or 18, while their ‘teachers’ were only 16! After a slightly nervous start, Nathania and Mary won over their class, with a combination of clear expectations and positivity – Nathania reflected on this, saying:

 ‘By the end of the week, our class had achieved so much and I was shocked at the pride I felt for them. This made me realise that teaching isn’t about drilling knowledge into students, it is about encouraging perseverance, fostering a growth mindset, and ultimately making students feel seen and heard.’

Proficiency in English opens doors, providing access to a range of different opportunities, and Roedean is proud that our students have brought potentially transformational change to nearly 200 children and young people over the last three years.  On the last day, Hunny looked back at the week and said:

‘I feel that this is such a rare opportunity that many Roedean students don’t get to experience. I got to reflect back on my own life and how lucky I have been to be able to study English from a young age.’

Our project draws quite a lot of attention, and it was our privilege to have the Moldovan Minister of Education and Deputy Ambassador from the British Embassy present at our ‘graduation ceremony’, where each of the children received a certificate. Not only that, but some staff and students were even featured on national television!

There can be no doubt that it is a tiring week, both physically and emotionally, and adrenaline is what kept us going for quite a bit of it! Farah loved the experience:

‘Travelling to Moldova this summer and being given the opportunity to teach English to children of various backgrounds is an experience I will forever hold in my heart. It has been a week of laughter, tears, and pride, and I know the skills and memories I have gained from this trip will remain with me for life.’

As well as teaching English, we had the chance to visit the Rainbow of Hope orphanage in Vadul Lui Voda, an institution which Roedean has been supporting since our first visit. After meeting the children and staff, we pledged to cover 3% of the annual running costs of the orphanage, not just for a year, but for a decade – this would mean raising about £5000 each year. This year, as a community, we raised over £7600, which will cover one twentieth of the total running costs for this year – congratulations, and thank you to everyone who contributed to this fantastic sum. Valentina, who manages the orphanage, was so grateful for the financial support, which will make such a difference to the children’s lives, but also for the fact that we have built a partnership over the last few years. Derin was rightly proud of our contribution:

‘One of the most meaningful parts for me was seeing the direct impact of Roedean’s donations. It made me realise how the support we give at school can truly change lives. Being there brought everything into perspective and made me proud to be part of a community that actively works to help others.’

None of this would be possible without the invaluable support of Hope4, overseen by Chris Lomas, and the team on the ground in Moldova who smoothed our path at every turn. Sam commented ‘I feel so lucky to have come across people like Ivan and the Hope4 team, who go beyond their way to support children in Moldova, and give them the best opportunities and experiences that we are privileged to have.’ Lydia agreed: ‘The Hope4 team was absolutely fantastic – I’ve never met a more compassionate group of people!’ Thank you sincerely to Ivan, Iuliia, Iuliia, and Zhenia, and the entire team who dropped everything for the week we were there to support us – we could not do it without you! It was also wonderful that we were joined by Moldovan Roedeanians during the week – Irina, an HMC East European Scholar in Year 12, joined us, as did Sabina, who left in 2023 and is now hugely successful studying Biotech at university in Austria. It was such a pleasure that they could could support us, and that we were supporting young people in their home country.

From a hare-brained and a seemingly unachievable idea which started in 2022, Project 125 Moldova has developed into an enduring partnership with the NGO, Hope4. Together, we are helping, in our small way, to make a difference, by teaching young people English and supporting the aptly-named Rainbow of Hope orphanage – long may it continue, and at least for the next seven years!