The Afterschool program is providing support and assistance to disadvantaged children enrolled in first grade and is also recommended by the Ministry of Education. The aim of the program is to improve school performances of pupils coming from disadvantaged families, with focus on Roma (families with parents with low educational level where school drop-out is frequent, families that use to remove their children from school and cannot ensure support for their children’s preparation for next day).

The Afterschool program is developed at the present in 5 towns of our county (Gepis, Osorhei, Tamasda, Lugasu de Jos si Vasad), throughout the entire school year. In each town, the program is attended by approximately 20 children of first grade, for a period of 150 days, starting with October 18^th 2009 and with the closure on June 11^th 2010. The children enrolled in the program spend 2-3 more hours in school every day, after the classes, benefiting of non-formal education programs and support to prepare homework for the next day under the supervision of a school teacher trained as afterschool instructor. Ruhama Foundation is seeking additional funds to extend the program in other locations of the county.

The funding of the Afterschool program in the 5 towns is supported by the Roma Education Fund, within the project „Roma Education Centre. Developing and promoting inclusive and sustainable educational programs for Roma children through integrated community efforts”, a program designed to improve the access to education for Roma children of Bihor County, implemented by Ruhama Foundation in partnership with the School Inspectorate of Bihor County and the University of Oradea - Faculty of Social Sciences.