Youth Hub: The Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation’s Youth Division brings young people together and helps them grow
For over a year, the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation, together with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and its partners, has been providing young people in Bucharest with opportunities for socialization, growth, and coping with the challenges of adolescence and youth at the Youth Hub.
From the beginning, the youth center aimed to be a safe space—initially for Ukrainian teenagers processing the trauma of war.
With non-formal education workshops, language integration, and various social contexts, the center has gradually grown, with its final form being strongly inspired by the Estonian model.
Alongside its new home on Strada Tunari No. 16, the center has taken on a different dimension, transforming into the Youth Division of the RAA Foundation, offering activities, workshops, programs, and more for and about young people, regardless of nationality.
“Working at the Hub gave me a sense of belonging and made me feel seen. It also allowed me to escape the current situation in Ukraine a little. I look forward to coming because I always learn something new, for example about my creative skills and social media.
What I love to do at the Hub is to support the young people who come here and give them the same sense of belonging to the Hub as I have.” – Nadia Sobh, Youth Worker
Youth Hub by Romanian Angel Appeal. Workshops
In the first months of 2023, in addition to daily non-formal education workshops, there were study visits, meetings, reunions (with civil society members or national and international youth workers), work meetings (including work meetings for Ukrainian journalists), anniversaries, and themed events (such as the first anniversary of the center).
Additionally, the center fosters a network of friendship, solidarity, and support by constantly encouraging young people to step out of their comfort zones, challenge themselves, and support one another, alongside youth workers and volunteers.
“We realized we had built what we set out to do one recent afternoon when I saw a boy at the Hub completing a college application letter on a computer, two girls making sandwiches in the opposite corner, and lively discussions on the couch, similar to debate workshops. A pool championship was taking place in the basement.
What pleased me the most was the autonomy and freedom of expression and choice shown by everyone there – last year, the young people were somehow afraid to occupy the space and express themselves.
Today, they are present not just in their lives. The initial anxiety has taken on a new form, and it’s amazing how much they open up once they arrive here.” – Simina Dumitrache, Youth Center Staff
Beyond the integration component through the development of key competencies advocated by the RAA Foundation team managing the Youth Hub, significant emphasis is also placed on skill development through accredited courses, such as language courses or ECDL courses.
By the end of this year, 75 Ukrainian youths will benefit from free Romanian and English language courses, and 60 Ukrainian youths will obtain a certificate of European recognition of computer skills through the ECDL permit.
Follow our activities on Instagram or discover the portraits of the young people who visit us.
