“Education is the key,” says Nicoleta Popla, a former coordinator in Andreea’s area. “I say to [children] all the time that they can overcome their current situation and have a better life. They really can go further than they believe because in their communities, they don't see these opportunities.”

For Andreea, the child sponsorship programme and support from leaders made all the difference.

“I was very shy; I was scared to get involved in different activities,” remembers Andreea. “I always sat in the back rows because I was afraid to speak, and I hoped not to be seen so that the teachers would not make me talk. But Nicoleta [and the other coordinators] did their job well …. It was impossible to not get involved in the activities!”

In the seventh and eighth grade, she even joined the student council, where she learned to overcome her fears of being in front of a crowd.

“All those activities helped me a lot,” she says. "I can feel the huge impact on myself and on my daily life, at school, and even now at university. I’m not shy anymore. Now, I have the courage to speak in public.”

Determined to help others to transform their lives too, Andreea is now studying social work at university, and when the Ukrainian crisis broke out, she made her way to Husi, another border crossing, to join World Vision’s response.

“I met a girl… We drew together; she spoke a little English. She traveled with her brother and parents,” Andreea says. “They were very scared.”

Andreea is more determined than ever to live a life that helps other children build a better future.

Right now, 1,000 girls are waiting for this opportunity. Help them find it. Sponsor a girl by October 11, International Day of the Girl, and join the movement for change.