Can you help?

We all know there are many needs in this world -- there are poor and hurting people everywhere -- and it gets overwhelming to think about how someone can help.  Will the money that I send overseas really reach the ones who need it?  And is it being spent on something that they really need/want?

Well, if anyone reading this has been wanting to share what they have with those in need, I know of a perfect way to do it.  A few months ago, I was introduced to a place called a tuberculosis kindergarten within walking distance of our house.  (I wrote about it previously here.)

This building houses 60 children, ages 3-7, who are placed there by the government because they are either recovering from tuberculosis, or have parents who cannot care for them because they themselves have it.  Many of the children come from very poor circumstances, and many do not have families at all.  They live at this place all week, and some go home on the weekends.  For all intents and purposes, this "kindergarten" functions the same way as an orphanage.

Oh these sweet faces!  This picture was taken in May, but they are still wearing hats.

It is state-run, so the government gives the director some money for food and medications for the children (a very small amount), but they are always in need, financially.  Liuba, the woman whom I interact with each time I go, is the head nurse.  She has worked there for 44 years and is clearly the mother hen of the place.

In the 1990's, when the government was in transition, they continued to send her children -- but no money at all.  So, in order to have food for them, she began going to the prisons in the city, and asking the prisoners to share food with the children.  They began to grow food in the prison gardens for the kids!  Liuba is one resourceful woman.  She is also one tender-hearted and compassionate woman.  Each time I see her, either she or I end up in tears -- and we can't even speak the same language!  She is full of hugs and radiant smiles.

Liuba and some of the children

Liuba was due to retire several years ago (she's 70 years old) but she has said there are two reasons she hasn't yet.  One reason is that her pension is quite low and she can't afford to support herself on it.  Her only daughter died recently, but her grandchildren are going to be able to help her in the future (I think).  The other reason she hasn't yet left the kindergarten is she feels she has one last thing she wants to do for the place:  get new doors and windows.

The front door

The building was built in the 1940's and the doors and windows are still the originals.  Needless to say, they are in bad, bad shape.  They have been scraped and re-painted several times, but they no longer close properly or seal well at all.  In the winter, it is impossible to keep the building draft-free.  I can only imagine how cold it must have gotten at night this past, awful winter.  To block some of the wind coming in the doors that lead to bedrooms, they've had to put mattresses and blankets in front of them!

And there are health-compromised young, young children sleeping in this cold, old building.

One of the bedrooms for the older children

The bedroom for the youngest ones

Every time I've stopped by the kindergarten over the last several months, I have found the children to be playing happily and the place appearing very clean and peaceful.  The staff seem kind, and everything is well-run and organized.  Still, I end up crying by the end, thinking about how these precious little children have to sleep in these big bedrooms without their parents to comfort them.  I always want to DO something to help.... and the only ways I can think of to do that are financial.

The kids' playroom also is their eating space

Lunch for the day:  soup and bread

So, I've hunted around for people to help me get this building some new doors and windows -- and I've found some!  A man named Ray, who, coincidentally happens to be from North Carolina, runs an organization called the Moldova World Children's Fund (MWCF).  He came to Chisinau this past month and agreed to tour the kindergarten with me.  Then he met me a second time with a couple of the board members of his organization.  Then he arranged to get an estimate from a local company to see how much it would cost.  And he has agreed to have his organization get involved (even though it has no money at the moment!).

The estimate we have been waiting for came in this past week.  To replace the doors (there are 8 of them), it will cost approximately $4000.  To replace all the windows (there are 68 of them!) it will cost an additional $22,000.  Liuba has said that even if someone could just take care of the doors, she would be a happy woman and could retire peacefully, so I'm hoping we can at least do that!

The long building has many odd-shaped windows

Only $26,000 to make a very real, very remarkable difference to the lives of 60 of "the least of these."  Part of what God calls "pure and faultless religion" in the book of James is "to look after orphans and widows in their distress."  This seems like the perfect way to do that!

If anyone reading this would like to contribute to this need, you can do so very simply by donating to MWCF.  (The link to do this electronically is here.  If you'd rather have a real address to send a check, let me know and I will get it to you.) This organization has very little overhead -- the president waives his salary for 11 months of the year.  So virtually all of the money that is raised goes directly to helping the children in Moldova.  If you donate for this project, indicate that it is for "Amy's TB kindergarten" and all of the money will be earmarked for the windows and doors.*

The place breaks my heart, but now I have hope that at least we can help them physically.  Beyond that, I pray that the children will know the love of Jesus somehow, and their lives will be changed by the Gospel.  And I pray for Liuba, too.... she knows I have been coming to help them because I love Jesus.  I pray she sees more of Him in all this.

In one of the playrooms

Please contact me or MWCF if you'd like to help and/or want more details!


* Money donated online cannot be specifically earmarked, but Ray has said that any money coming in for the next few months that is not from one of his regular contributors will be set aside for this project.