Why Romania?
In 1989, when Ceausescu’s government was overthrown, the orphan crisis in Romania was exposed to the world. Children were being warehoused in massive and overcrowded orphanages. Over 170,000 children were living in facilities that were originally built to handle a quarter of that many children! Conditions were inhumane – no heat, poor clothing, little food, and little health care. HIV was rampant too due to poor medical practices and care. There was a skeleton staff with little training on how to care for that many children. They could barely meet the children’s physical needs, let alone address the emotional needs of any one child.
How did we get started in Romania?
Today, conditions for children have improved, although there is still progress to be made. Since 2005, the Romanian government has been working to move its child welfare system to mirror western practice standards, policy, and legislation, with children’s rights the primary focus of this reform effort. The government is also recognizing the value of partnering with nongovernmental agencies to be a part of the solution. Global Hope is one of those organizations that is part of the long-term solution in raising a generation of kids, not in an institution, but in a home where there is stability, security and unconditional love.
Global Hope has two ministry locations in Romania:
Arad and Sibiu
Arad
Arad has a population of about 163,000 people and is located in western Romania, near the Hungarian border. Global Hope partners with a Romanian non-profit called Fundatia Caminul Sperantei (House of Hope Foundation) to provide homes and care to abandoned children.
In October of 2001, Global Hope established a new children’s home called Ana’s House. Currently four children live in Ana’s House and it continues to be a place where children can grow and thrive…
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ANA’S HOUSE
In October of 2001, Global Hope established a new children’s home called Ana’s House. Five children were welcomed to this new home in 2001: Rodica, Sanda, Simona, Radu, and Oana. Within six months, three more children came—Robi, Teodora, and Mircea—giving the houseparents, Tata Roni and Mama Rodi eight children to care for, along with their own two biological children! Several of the first children who grew up in Ana’s House have since gone off on their own. Global Hope has had the honor to celebrate many high school graduations and weddings (with more to come)! Beginning in June 2021 we welcomed new houseparents to Ana’s House: the Calin family, Claudiu & Adriana, along with their two children Filip and Elissa. Early in their marriage they moved to a small town where Claudiu was named pastor to a small baptist church and Adriana worked as an English teacher. After a few moves and few children Claudiu became the director of the camp in Sistarovat and Adriana worked alongside him to tackle the great many things that needed to be done at the camp. God has put this new opportunity as houseparents in their path and Adriana and Claudiu have embraced it wholeheartedly and are excited to help guide the children of Ana’s House as they grow up into independent adults.
*Foster Families*
STANCA FAMILY
Gabi Stanca began working for Global Hope when it opened its first children’s home, House of Hope, in 1999. Then in 2005, Gabi, with her husband Dorel, became house parents for another Global Hope children’s home called Steven’s House. After three and a half years caring for five children, the home closed and children were transitioned to foster families. After much prayer, Gabi and Dorel, along with their two children, asked to be a foster family for three children: Ionuti, Flavius, and Haynal (Hoiny).
PARASCHIV FAMILY
Ana Paraschiv began working for Global Hope in 2002 at the House of Hope to care for one new baby, Vasi, and was his primary caregiver until 2006. She herself grew up in an orphanage and had the heart to care for children with the same background so she loved doing this. After 2006, Vasi was moved to a foster family, and Ana went on to a new job. Then, in 2014, she and Vasi were reunited! Vasi was 13 years old and his foster family was not able to continue caring for him. When Ana heard that Global Hope was searching for a new family for Vasi, she immediately stepped up and asked if she could care for him. With much excitement, Vasi moved into her home in 2014.
NETADA FAMILY
After suffering a great deal of hardship early in their lives, Lynete and her younger brother Eduard went to live in the care of their grandmother, Marie. Marie loves her grandchildren deeply, but she is very poor, struggling daily to make ends meet. It got so bad in 2012 that Marie approached Global Hope asking if one of the homes could take her grandchildren and care for them. Instead of aiding another abandonment to these children, Global Hope provides financial relief so that Marie can care for her grandchildren, and the family can stay together!
CHIRCAN FAMILY
Gabi and Luminita Chircan stated working with Global Hope in 2006. They worked at the House of Hope where they met and cared for a young girl named Ioana (pronounced ya-WANNA). Ioana was born with a spinal injury and abandoned at birth. In 2009, the Chircan’s became Ioana’s foster family and helped her learn how to get around and be self-sufficient. Ioana graduated high school in 2014, has gained independence as a disabled person, holds a promising job as a secretary, and got married in 2016! The Chircan family has again become a Global Hope foster family. Maria and Daian (not biological siblings) were in an orphanage for children with disabilities before moving in with the Chircans in 2018. The children quickly filled their new home with activity and laughter. Both children attend the Sunshine School where the staff is uniquely equipped to help children with special needs. Maria and Daian love their new home, their new family and their new school!
Sibiu / Cornatel
Sibiu has a population of about 426,000 people and is located in central Romania, in the Transylvania region. It is recorded that there are 67,000 children orphaned in Romania. In most cases, the children have become orphaned because their parents have abandoned them. A majority of abandoned children in Romania come from Gypsy families, with some calculations as high as 80%. People offer different reasons for this, but the most prevalent is that in the Roma culture girls marry at a young age, begin having children very early and typically have, on average, eight children.
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