We found the children living in a small room attached to the animal barn. They had two beds and a wood stove. Their clothes were stored in boxes. Five small children and their parents live in this home.
The school is one mud road away from home, their clothes carry the smell of animals and smoke, and their unwashed hands hold each other on the way to school and under the desks. They don‘t have notebooks and pencils, so they just sit in the back of the class, trying to be as quiet and unnoticed as they can. And they seem to have been unnoticed for a very long time.
Every morning, their mom rushes out to the animals. She has no time and no food to prepare for them. They are left alone and the older ones help the younger ones to get ready. They start their way to school at whatever time. They don‘t know what time it is. There is no clock on the wall and if there was, they wouldn‘t know how to read it.
They don‘t know the days of the week either. They know the week is over, whenever the teacher says: „no school tomorrow!“
How should we help? What should we give them? This year we decided to teach them about dignity. We wanted them to know they are special and we celebrated with them for the very first time their birthdays.
We showed them how to take care of their village and clean it by picking up the garbage. We taught them that we all have to work for a life lived in dignity.
Everyone can do something for himself and for someone else.
The children are still learning how to read and write. We do this during the after-school program where the children also receive a warm meal. Every Wednesday and Friday we have lunch together. Everyone does his part: Ionut and Alin hand out the boxes of food. Denisa lays a napkin in front of every child and Maria comes behind her and sets the silverware. Remus and Silviu place the cups and two slices of bread. We say a prayer and give thanks, as we know that every day we live and everything we have is a gift. And then, we enjoy our meal. When we finish, Gabi washes the silverware and the cups, Andra rinses them, and Florina dries them, together with the other children eager to help.
Shortly after lunch, the children take a seat at their desk and are always happy to start a new lesson. We learn the letters and learn how to use them. There is great joy when we put a word together and even greater when a whole sentence is formed.
We would like to create an educational support center that will be opened every day for the children in Fiser.
We are so proud of these children!
Caty Roos
