Bucharest, October 2025 – According to the 2024 study “The Well-being of Children in Rural Areas” conducted by the World Vision Romania Foundation, approximately 62% of school-aged children in rural areas are engaged in labor activities, while 19% never receive help with their homework. These alarming figures highlight a pressing issue: 41% of lower secondary school students do not wish to continue their education at the high school level, opting instead for employment or vocational training.

In response to these challenges, World Vision Romania, in partnership with BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, has renovated a classroom and rehabilitated the sanitary facilities of a kindergarten in Ialomița County. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance educational infrastructure and opportunities for children in underserved rural communities.

The kindergarten, located in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the county, had not undergone any renovations since 1999. Today, it serves 14 children aged between 3 and 6. The refurbishment included a complete renovation of the classroom—painting, sanitization, and installation of new flooring—as well as the modernization of the sanitary facilities, which had become difficult to use.

Employees from BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions actively participated in the initiative, volunteering their time and effort to create a safer and more welcoming learning environment. Working alongside parents and local community members, the volunteers transformed the classroom into a space tailored to the needs of young children.

“For many children in Romania’s rural villages, a clean and functional classroom can make the difference between attending kindergarten or staying at home. Our collaboration with BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions exemplifies the power of partnerships between the private sector and non-governmental organizations when united by a shared commitment to children’s well-being,” said Mihaela Nabăr, Executive Director of World Vision Romania.

“We truly believe educational actions can make a change for the next generation. We had learnt that any act counts, therefore, during the years we were keen to help the people who need it the most. Solidarity and responsibility were showed through our volunteers who mobilized to create a better environment for little children.” said Philippe Desgeans, Country Manager BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Romania.

Complementary to our classroom renovation efforts, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions chose to support the education of students in rural areas by donating furniture — 52 rollboxes, 6 desks, and 10 lockers — which were delivered to the students of Cezar Nicolau Technological High School in Brănești and Gârbov Secondary School. This initiative amplifies the impact of our educational support by promoting a collective approach to furniture reuse (circular economy) and endorsing the principles of the circular economy.

This marks the fourth consecutive year of partnership between World Vision Romania and BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions. Together, the two organizations continue to innovate agricultural education through the “Proud to be a Farmer” program, aiming to make the sector more attractive to young people.

By developing renovation projects in collaboration with corporate partners, World Vision Romania remains dedicated to supporting early childhood education, reducing inequalities, and fostering safe and stimulating environments for children and youth across Romania.

About World Vision Romania

World Vision Romania is an organization that runs programs in education, emergency humanitarian response, development, and advocacy, placing children’s well-being at the heart of its mission. The organization focuses on working with children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The foundation supports the most vulnerable people in the world, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. World Vision Romania is part of the World Vision International partnership, which operates in nearly 100 countries worldwide. Over its 34 years of activity in Romania, the foundation has helped more than 1 million children and adults across over 3,000 communities in 41 counties.

For more information, please visit www.worldvision.ro and http://fb.com/WorldVisionRomania.

About BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions

BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions offers capital-efficient business equipment financing solutions in key sectors including agriculture, construction, transportation, materials handling, ICT, healthcare, and green tech. Drawing on its 70-year history, its partners and clients rely on its market expertise, asset know-how, and advisory services to propel their growth, transformation, and transition to a low-carbon circular economy. Present in 18 countries across Europe and Türkiye, and employing over 3 000 experts, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions also offers vendor finance solutions in the USA and Canada in partnership with Bank of Montreal, and in China through a joint venture with Jiangsu Financial Leasing.

In 2024, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions advanced €16.3 billion in asset finance and presently manages a €40.4 billion leased asset portfolio. BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions is fully owned by BNP Paribas and is positioned within the Group’s Commercial, Personal Banking & Services division.