NEWBOLD BAPTIST CHURCH WEB SITE Milnrow Road, Rochdale, United Kingdom

Networks work in Romania - An overview      More about Romania Greetings Cards Winter Wood Networks work in Romania Shelter of Care Arad, Romania 17th - 21st July 2003 - Ruth and Barbara’s report. “I will pour out my blessing to run through this valley and touch these people”  God’s vision to Lee Our whirl wind tour of Romania was to find out a bit more and see first hand the work in which Lee, Karen and the team are involved in Romania.  We spent a hectic three days travelling around the Arad district, into the village where the farm is based and out to some of the outskirts of the city to see the various projects that Lee is involved in.  As with much of Romania, the town centre looks much like any other European town, there are people with homes and jobs just like in Rochdale, there are even people who have cashed in successfully in the developing economy and are living a very comfortable lifestyle, however just two or three streets away from the town centre, in the suburbs and the countless small villages, people are living on the edge of existence.  We were particularly keen to focus on Networks, the trading arm of OAZA.  Although OAZA now has quite a lot of recognition in the UK and internationally for the work done with the street children, Networks is the lesser known side of the operations.  Networks was set up to look at some of the problems faced by families in Arad, to look at the complex nature of poverty which result in parents unable to feed, house or get medical care for themselves or their children. We visited a gypsy village only 2 minutes from the town centre where people live in mud shelters with no floor, sanitation or cooking facility.  The family that we visited are a mum, dad and six children.  Dad is keen to work and provide for his family, but doesn’t have a birth certificate and therefore is unable to register for work.  He can get a birth certificate by travelling to the place he was born, but that’s on the other side of Romania.  Networks believes in developing the family rather than just throwing cash and aid at people for a short term fix.  Dad has now been contracted through Networks to a firm which needs tin piping.  Dad is skilled at making the piping which he is paid for, which in turn is giving him the opportunity to save a little for the train fare for him, his wife and the 6 month old baby to make the journey for the certificate.  Each family has individual problems, which throw up the same dilemmas on a daily basis.  It’s a poverty trap being ignored and feared by the authorities.  Networks also generates income for the projects.  There is a second hand shop in the village where people can buy family essentials, clothes and furniture at reduced prices.  Income from that pays for grain, which goes to the local baker who makes bread for families in two villages who would otherwise not afford food.  Touts is the holiday village given to Networks, which was previously state owned.  Standing derelict for 13 years since the revolution, the chalets require some repair and maintenance, but the breath taking setting and enormous potential means that Romanians with money can come to use the place for holidays, which will pay for less fortunate families to visit too.  There is a large lake, woodland and several large fields as well as a court for football and other ball games.  It is also anticipated that school groups and back packers will visit Touts as an outdoor pursuits centre.  This will create employment for the village. The 2 hectors of grape vines owned by Networks is also creating employment.  French wine merchants are in the process of working with Networks to create a wine, which will be exported again making an income.  The vine yards in a beautiful location set of the hiollside which looks right across the valley and Hungarian plains. There is also a computer club, like our Zone work for village kids to drop in after school and a Saturday morning kids club which is attracting about 35 children who hear the gospel through sketches, silly games and a memory verse.  The work is endless.  Please pray for strength for Karen, Lee and the team who are working very hard.  Look out in the notices and on the notice boards for more info on how we can all get involved.  Since travelling back to the UK, we have planned a number of activities to raise the awareness and fundraise for Networks.  We planned a monster car boot sale in September which over two weekends raised £600.  Through this one event, we were able to attract local press interest which assisted us in making contact with many local people who would have the wise not heard of the work Networks was in involved in.  We collected off many people who read about the work in the paper and through this exposure, were also invited to present at the Oldham Rotary Club.  During the car boot sales we gave out leaflets about the charity to make more people aware of the activities going on in a different country.  We found many people are keen to give to a good cause, they just need to know about it.  The proceeds from this have already gone to buy wheat for the local baker to make bread for the poorest families in the villages.  We hope this Christmas to raise money for families in the shanty towns to have a warmer winter.  £100 would keep a whole family in enough wood to keep them warm over the very extreme winter months.     Return to Missions Page  |  Return to Home Page