Prize Winner 2008

As long as 16 years ago, Father Georg Sporschill founded the social project "Concordia - City of Children" for street children in Romania. Now the time has come to offer the adolescents vocational education and a new perspective in life.

With the prize money from the Social Essl Prize, a residential and training centre for 24 young people will be built under the name "CASA ABRAHAM" .

"Abraham believed in God and the future. He followed his calling. We wish for the same kind of courage for our children and we offer them opportunities for vocational training, "says Father Georg Sporschill.

The educational centre will be in close proximity to the existing Concordia buildings and in addition to residential units, it will also include a chapel, a model kindergarden and rooms for job training.

In therapist-supported groups, the young people are prepared for the working life so that they will then be able to start training as apprentices or working in companies.

The kindergarden is not only child-care facility for infants and toddlers, it is also a training facility for young girls who want to become kindergarden teachers as, after all, professional educators are highly sought after in Romania.