Roma Education Fund opens its second Complementary Education Center in Bucharest, Romania
PRESS RELEASE : Bucharest, April 8, 2026
Roma Education Fund Romania (REF) celebrated World Roma Day by opening its second Complementary Education Center (CEC) in Bucharest, in the Giulești Sârbi community (Sector 6). The event brought together children from the community, students from Secondary School No. 161 and Mihai I Technological High School, alongside representatives of local and national authorities. The Sector 6 City Hall was represented by Mayor Paul Moldovan, and the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity by Director General Ștefania Andreescu, both institutions reaffirming their commitment to policies connected to the real needs of the community. Children participated in hands-on educational activities, from robotics workshops to creative exercises, designed to develop skills relevant for the future.
“We, the City Hall and the Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection, have a supporting role both for the community and for these great people who, through their expertise and energy, contribute to sustaining activities in this community and ultimately here in Sector 6,” said Paul Moldovan, referring to the work of REF Romania.
The activity also benefited from the support of officials from the Ministry of Labour, who conveyed the message of Minister Florin Manole, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to social inclusion and support for Roma communities.
“As a continuation of the Roma Voices project, funded by the Ministry, we believe this center can become a catalyst for the community and a genuine space for dialogue. We want initiatives and proposals to originate at the local level, from within the community, and later transform into relevant policies and funding,” explained Ștefania Andreescu, Director General at the Ministry of Labour.
The Complementary Education Centers (CEC) developed by REF are designed as educational infrastructures that emphasize performance, academic discipline, and the development of skills relevant to the labor market. The model follows an integrated intervention logic, where education generates skills, these are validated through economic participation, and the entire process contributes to shaping a new generation of leaders within communities.
“What we are building through these centers is part of a broader model that we are developing at an international level. Each new Complementary Education Center contributes to strengthening, in the long term, the REF model, which connects education with real opportunities and strengthens the resilience of Roma communities. At the same time, it represents a paradigm shift: from access-centered policies to policies that deliver results,” said Ciprian Necula, Executive President of REF.
The first Complementary Education Center was opened in October 2025, in Sector 2 of Bucharest, marking the launch of this model as part of REF’s strategy to build integrated systems at the community level. Designed as a multifunctional space, the center brings together education, social support, and employment guidance, following a logic that goes beyond one-off interventions and aims for long-term results.
The Complementary Education Centers in Bucharest, coordinated by Ioana Dorneanu, both the one in Sector 2 and the one in Sector 6, are designed as safe and innovative spaces where children develop the skills needed to navigate a constantly changing world. They offer a wide range of activities, from robotics and theatre to animation, personal development, and online safety education, within a structured framework that supports performance and the development of relevant skills.
“April 8 was dedicated to connection, learning, and solidarity, with every child who joined our activities being welcomed with openness and warmth. We are glad to see how education, culture, and creativity come together to create experiences that inspire and bring the community closer,” said Ioana Dorneanu, coordinator of the REF centers.
By expanding this model, REF is building an approach in which education becomes a development infrastructure, directly connected to real opportunities and to the formation of a new generation of leaders within Roma communities.
