Asociatia OvidiuRo and Kaufland Romania are launching the second edition of the “Two Books in a Bag” project to encourage parents to read with their children from infancy on. Children benefit from cognitive stimulation from a very early age and thus, early exposure to books gives them a better start in life.

Like last year’s project, the poorest rural and urban communities in Romania will be targeted. 17,000 children, aged 0-3, from disadvantaged families will receive a bag with two illustrated books to take home, and their parents will be informed about the importance of kindergarten and reading together with their children. 1700 volunteer “Reading Ambassadors” will participate in OvidiuRo’s literacy-focused training sessions and will organize children’s reading workshops.

“There are numerous benefits of reading to kids - even before they fully understand language. Children learn three times more words from books than from a conversation, so this is why we should read to them every day. Every child deserves a story and every parent deserves to know how important early experiences with books are for their children’s ability to learn later on”, declared Patricia Puschila, Operations Director, Asociatia OvidiuRo.

Through the active civic involvement of both companies and non-governmental organizations, disadvantaged children receive real chances for a better future, so they can break the cycle of poverty.

“We are happy to develop the project << Two Books in a Bag >> with Asociatia OvidiuRo. We welcome educational initiatives, especially if they have an integrated approach that is introduced as early as possible. Reading every day, starting from the first months of life, helps to develop the intellect, imagination, memory and represents the foundations of a rich vocabulary", said Katharina Scheidereiter, CSR Manager, Kaufland Romania.

About Asociația OvidiuRo

OvidiuRo’s mission is to make quality early education available to every severely disadvantaged child in Romania – so they have a chance to become active, contributing members of Romanian society. OvidiuRo’s methodology encompasses close collaboration with local leaders, teacher training, and parent involvement.  Law No. 248/2015, known as “the Preschool Law”, went into effect in February 2016 to encourage and support the regular attendance of 3- to 6-year-old children in grădinită (preschool & kindergarten). It was based on the highly successful pilot program initiated by OvidiuRo in 2010 in partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Education.  OvidiuRo has as direct beneficiaries 67,000 preschool children and 9,000 teachers who have participated in literacy-focused training programs. Indirect beneficiaries include 21,500 parents, 100,000 siblings of children who participated in OvidiuRo programs, as well as thousands of teachers, colleagues of those directly involved in the association's programs. Over 225,000 books have been given and read to children, igniting their curiosity and desire for knowledge.