Karate does not only mean self-defence techniques, it also means discipline, physical endurance, intense training and mental will. It means values and principles necessary for a life fulfilled with ensuring respect for people and the values of others.

The activities took place starting in 2018, during the school year and consisted of weekly physical and mental training sessions lasting 2 hours under the guidance of Professor Neluțu Paveluc, world karate champion.

Relaxation and leisure activities were organized during the school holidays.

Also, annually, in February, the Association organises a Charity Gala in which children are valued by presenting their activities and results.

The Association also provides services to adults with vulnerable backgrounds, most of them being the parents of children participating in the program, which facilitates both their integration and continuity in the program.

The management of logistic aspects (especially the transport of the children from home to the gym located in a neighbouring locality – Săcele) was done by the president of the association with the support of 3 volunteers.

The material resources invested by the Association were:

– 8-seats minibus (owned by the Association) and fuel;

– food for the participating children: package with 2 sandwiches, a sweet snack and a bottle of water;

– equipment for each child: training suit, 1 pair of sports shoes;

– sports equipment for training was provided by the sport teacher;

– occasionally, each child received clothes from the Association.

Although no classical evaluation (based on questionnaires and evaluation indicators) was carried out, the internal analysis of the Association demonstrated the achievement of the proposed objectives through the results obtained by the children. They have:

– improved their physical qualities and physical endurance;

– learnt self-defence techniques and developed specific physical skills for karate;

– learnt and acquired values such as respect, discipline and character formation on solid principles of life, harmonious personality development;

– increased self-confidence, increased self-esteem and increased cohesion of the group of children;

– improved school results so that they got out of the risk situations they were in before (absenteeism, school failure);

– transmitted in the environment in which they live and learn the new values and principles they learnt.

All these results, consolidated through repetition, discipline and perseverance, led to the consolidation of the skills and abilities obtained as a result of participating in the Association’s program. In the long run, the risk of these children becoming social assisted people (following the family model) decreases, thus managing to integrate into the community.

The project is sustainable. More, the additional activities highlighted other natural abilities / talents that children have, so the Association intends to extend the program to other sports or to support them to develop them.

By participating in the program, children became role models for the children around them (schoolmates, neighbours etc.) promoting a healthy and fair lifestyle in their living environment.

Targeting both children and parents from the same family (even if they participated on different programmes), facilitated the work with the children who had the support of the parents (or at least the acceptance to participate in activities).

The program could be considered a model of good practice because it combined the development of children’s physical and mental abilities with promoting values and principles of healthy and fair living. These gave the children from disconnected communities the impetus and will to overcome their social situation and personal limits. Such initiatives change the mental pattern and perception of their own potential and the world of the future adult. In other words, children take over and build positive life patterns, other than the parental ones or the environment in which they live.

The innovative aspect is represented by working within the same Association, as beneficiaries (even if in different programs), of an entire family: parents and children.

As a recommendation: this type of programme is complex, with various activities, and children develop progressively, which requires time and patience.