English lessons for talented and capable children in the districts of Moldova

Eugenia Caracas, from Ungheni, is the founder of “Better Version personal development Center” which offers English courses for both adults and children, including arithmetic, robotics, school preparation courses. 

The Center was founded in 2019, and the first branch was opened in Calarasi. The feedback was positive and immediate, and the branches in Hincesti, Cahul were opened, as well as in Ungheni in 2023.

“One of the reasons for opening these centres is that we wanted to apply the knowledge we have accumulated over time, including abroad, bringing quality education to as many talented and capable children as possible in the districts of Moldova where there are fewer opportunities for the children."
“We applied for the IOM small business grant program. The support we received was a substantial financial contribution (7000,00 US dollars), which helped us operate the Cahul and Ungheni centres”.

One of the five teachers is a migrant from the United Kingdom, Samantha Sandu:

“Interacting with children and see them grow in confidence and encouragement to speak English is my favorite part of my job. And I love it when they have a beautiful English accent. Do you want them to learn English well? Teach in a fun way. It motivates them to keep learning English, and not to be put off by it.”

“I came to Moldova 20 years ago to work in a children’s camp in the village of Risipeni and then to teach English in the local school. In this village, I met my husband. We first lived in England for the first 12 years and then decided to return here."

"Moldova is very dangerous, and I say to anybody who visits it to be careful: Moldova gets into your heart and it doesn't leave. That happened to me when I was 20, and it never left.”
 

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The "Better Version Personal Development Center” is one of the 29 small businesses owned by Ukrainian refugees and Moldovans which received an IOM small business grant thanks to the generous financial support of U.S. Department of State:  Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration within the “Ukraine Response to support refugees from Ukraine across Europe” project.