A DIFFERENT WORLD

A hardworking 14-year-old boy enjoys an unforgettable summer camp

Playing and having fun is a luxury that many families can’t afford for their children.

Some children have to take care of younger siblings and do all the household chores; others work and help bring in much-needed extra cash. When a family is in survival mode, everyone has to help carry the load – and a summer holiday or a day trip to the beach is beyond their reach.

Roma, 14, is the eldest of four, and when he’s not at school, he works hard to earn money for his family, who live in poverty in southeast Moldova. Neither of his parents has a steady job, and although his father gets work in construction wherever he can, and his mother works too here and there, it is never quite enough to cover the family’s needs.

Roma gets up at 5 am throughout the summer to work jobs at local farms. He doesn’t get paid much and is sometimes given potatoes or vegetables instead of money, but every little bit helps.

Roma said, “I’m not afraid of work. I like to help: by bringing water from the well and making a fire for my mother to cook or heat up water. But one thing I don’t really like is when we go to the field to collect the rosehip – oh, those small thorns!” 

Roma’s family are enrolled on Mission Without Borders’ (MWB) family sponsorship programme – and they are receiving ongoing support – ranging from food parcels for the whole family to homework help for the children.

And now, there is great excitement in store for Roma – he is going to one of MWB’s summer camps.

Sergiu, the MWB staff member who supports the family, said, “Roma was so excited and happy when he heard he would go to camp. The first thing he asked was, ‘What about sports games? Is there a football field?’ You should see how Roma and other children count the days until it’s time for camp.”

Roma shares, “When I got out of the bus at camp, it was like a different world – so beautiful, so green, lots of flowers, benches, swings, and children everywhere… and the sports ground! 

“Some awesome days followed. I made six new friends, even a best friend, Maxim, and we had so much fun, but of course, the biggest fun was when our football team won a game! I remember the goal I scored with a header. 

“I loved the delicious variety of food. We even had ice cream there and other treats. We had very good leaders who always encouraged our team to work together and were good examples for us.

“I think I will remember this time I spent at summer camp for a very long time." He continues...

When I grow up, if I have more money, I’ll help other children to go to a summer camp because I want them to have the same unforgettable time as I did.

 

Sergiu adds, “Indeed, summer camp is one of the greatest blessings the Mission can offer a child. Each child from the community I work with has their own story, and often those stories aren’t happy ones.”

With the help of our supporters, we can send more hard-working children like Roma to summer camp – and give them a chance to have fun, learn about God’s love and make new friends.

Your donation can make it possible for a child living in poverty to experience the joy of an unforgettable summer holiday.

Donate now and give a child like Roma a safe place to play this summer.

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Children will be afforded the opportunity to go to one of MWB’s Summer Camps


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