Charity builds better future for orphans
Published: October 3, 2005
AN Ulster Christian charity has helped open the door to a brighter future for orphaned children in Europe’s poorest country.
The ‘Vision of Good Hope - Moldova’ organisation, based in Buckna, officially opened its first orphanage recently - the ‘House of Hope’ in the deprived Transnistria region of the poverty stricken former Soviet state.
The charity was formed in January 2002 after a visit to the area by a group of local men discovered countless destitute children in a population where more than 70% of people exist on incomes below the poverty line.
An abandoned one-storey building in Moldova was purchased later that year for $$2,000 and since then around £100,000 of donations have poured in for the incredible mission; which now currently provides a clean, well-equipped and loving home for more than 30 children.
Drew Davison, one of the charity’s founders, described the conditions at the new home: “The children have nice beds as well as showers and toilet facilities that are up to the standard that we have in this country.
“There is also an inside play area, all kitted out with toys in addition to the outside playground that was built last year. The latter includes a specially tiled area where the children drive go-karts, ride bikes or play the same games that youngsters here do.”
Sadly many of the children being nurtured at the orphanage have often come with shocking tales of deprivation, such as two young brothers who previously lived in a house where they had no beds to sleep on and had to lie among filthy rubbish on the floor, with parents who were both alcoholics and left the boys to beg for food.
And the charity doesn’t intend stopping with the House of Hope ? it plans to turn the area into a Village of Hope, using the four acres around the orphanage to have a number of different chalets to house more children with perhaps a clinic or school.
Meanwhile, containers of essential supplies like tinned food, clothes, washing materials and hospital equipment are continuing to be sent out ? with another shipment due to leave Northern Ireland at the end of this month.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: