What It’s About
VALYOUNITY:
A comprehensive education and integration program
VALYOUNITY is the cornerstone of the collaboration between the association Basketball Leben e.V. from Munich, Club Sportiv Bögöz (Mugeni), and Volksschule Bögöz. Basketball Leben e.V. is not only a non-profit organization promoting sports but also the initiator and organizer of the entire program. With VALYOUNITY, we have established a comprehensive education and integration program.
The Origin: Basketball as the Foundation for Value Transmission
It all began in 2014 with a simple basketball training session. The idea behind it was to teach children social values such as teamwork, respect, and discipline through sport. Today, basketball is a central element of VALYOUNITY.
Our mixed teams offer all children the opportunity to develop their motor skills, endurance, and sense of community in a playful way.
A special highlight is the annual youth exchange, where the basketball players from Bögöz and BC Hellenen Munich train, play, and learn from each other together in Bögöz.
The Name VALYOUNITY
The project title combines three central aspects: the value of each individual (“value”), the power of community (“unity”), and the importance of each participant (“YOU”). Thus, VALYOUNITY represents the vision that every person is valuable and can be part of a strengthening community. This guiding principle runs through all of our program components.
VALYOUNITY is more than just a sports project – it is a long-term education and development program that offers the children in Bögöz a better future. The close collaboration of the involved organizations demonstrates that sustainable change can only be achieved through mutual support.
Our Program
Basketball: Regular training and competitions promote both the enjoyment of the game and athletic skills. In spring and summer, the children train on the outdoor court built by the project, while in the colder months, gyms in the city are rented. Bus transportation to these locations is also organized. Currently, six teams from the project train regularly.
Folk Dance: The regular Szekler dance class promotes the children’s cultural identity and teaches them traditional dances from the region. By learning folk songs and dances, the children not only discover the significance of these traditions but also strengthen their sense of community and their connection to the local culture.
Wood Painting: Traditional wood painting involves not only painting furniture but also immersing in the history and traditions of the region. The children learn to replicate old artworks, such as the painted ceilings of the church, and gain deeper insight into the significance and history of this unique art form. Through creative work with wood, they playfully connect tradition and craftsmanship.
Legendary History Course: This course teaches the local history and myths of the region in a playful way. Children learn more about their cultural roots and the history of their homeland by immersing themselves in stories and bringing them to life. The course promotes awareness of cultural heritage and strengthens the sense of belonging to their community.
Playful Romanian Lessons: The children in Bögöz face a unique challenge: their mother tongue is Hungarian, yet they have to follow the same curriculum as the Romanian majority, despite learning Romanian as a foreign language. This makes learning the national language difficult and laborious, with little success. Our weekly Romanian lessons are designed to be playful and child-friendly. From first to eighth grade, we offer interactive sessions based on games, songs, role-playing, and group exercises.
Tutoring “Students for Students”: Older children act as tutors for the younger ones. This peer-learning program not only enhances academic skills but also boosts the self-confidence and social competencies of the tutors, while promoting acceptance and integration. It’s a program where children support each other and learn from one another.
Awareness Workshops: The course addresses important topics related to the development of children and adolescents, such as learning difficulties, ADHD, autism, high sensitivity, screen time, anxiety, trauma, and sex education. The goal is to expand the knowledge and skills of coaches, instructors, teachers, and parents, in order to better support the children in our community and help them sustainably overcome their challenges.
Social Responsibility Training: The workshop is integrated into the school curriculum and promotes empathy, teamwork, and social engagement. Our children learn to take responsibility and actively contribute to building a positive community.
Our Target Group
Our work is aimed at the Roma and Szekler minority children and youth in Romania – the generation that will shape the future of their communities. Focusing on Bögöz and surrounding villages, we support over 250 children in total, including those with special challenges: children with physical or mental disabilities, children without family care, and those living in social marginalization.
Our Goals
Our goals are equal opportunities and perspectives. We want every child – regardless of background, abilities, or life circumstances – to have access to education, sports, and community. In doing so, we not only promote individual development but also strengthen social cohesion.
We strengthen acceptance and tolerance not only within the local community but also between neighboring communities and other minorities.
We provide children in Szeklerland with access to higher-quality education and give them the opportunity to discover their skills, talents, and passions through new activities.
We strengthen the cultural identity of children and young people in Szeklerland, promote their personal development, and expand their educational opportunities.
We advocate for diversity among the participants in our activities to ensure equality.
We expand the sports offerings for children and youth from the Szeklerland.
We reduce the time children and youth in the Szeklerland spend neglected at home.
Why Sport
Basketball Leben was born in 2014 from a simple yet crazy idea: We, four basketball players from Munich and Bögöz, wanted to organize a basketball camp for young players in Romania. A few months later, we made the plan a reality. And because the camp was even better than we could have ever imagined, we returned the following year and supported the construction of an outdoor court on site to address the lack of sports facilities.
Since then, the program has grown steadily. Today, six teams in Bögöz and the surrounding area are training. In the summer, they play on the outdoor court, and in the winter, they practice in a sports hall in nearby Szekelyudvarhely.
Sports are important for the motor, cognitive, and social development of children and youth. Studies have shown that physical activity can enhance children’s learning abilities and socio-emotional well-being. But for us, sports are more than just a means to an end. Sports shape character. As part of a team, you learn early on that many things can only be achieved together. You learn to take responsibility, to stick together, to interact respectfully, and to be tolerant. You learn that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what language you speak. What matters instead is how you behave on the court. How you stand up for each other. And how you fight together for a common cause.