Food and FOCP in villages

On January 21, 2008, the Little Samaritan Mission visited the village of Suhat to distribute food and the Face of a Child Project.  We were welcomed by about 200 people. In a couple of minutes the entire village found out that the Little Samaritan mission came to their village. This is our fourth year there, but this year was the most difficult due to the drought. Mrs. Valentina, the school principal, told us that she has never seen so much humanitarian aid in one place. She just couldn’t believe it; we came just in time. About a week ago she gave us a call and told us that all they have left in the food store is a bag of beans and 18 kilos of pasta. “Our only option was to start praying to God to help us in any way possible because our situation was totally desperate. I speak on the behalf of the entire village when I ask you to give us help so that we will make it through the winter.”
After we unloaded the food items and the Face of a Child gifts,  the principal told us that “this is an answer to our prayers. All the things that we received are important, but the food products were the most needed. We had food for just one week, and then we didn’t know what would happen. The children found out about this situation and at breakfast they asked me if they will have anything to eat for lunch. I knew how desperate our situation was so I couldn’t look them in the eyes. Now I feel relieved, all the food we received now will last us the entire winter! We will bake bread with the flour and boil the dry fruits with water. This is a tasty meal for a hungry child!”
The children weren’t the only ones who benefited! After they received new winter  jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, and school supplies, all the families of children and senior citizens from the villages received food supplies. After that we went and gave the rest of the food supplies to socially vulnerable families.
The Hanteas are a young family in a desperate condition. They rented a room, and their modest condition got worst when Dumitru, the husband, was diagnosed with a muscle degeneration which limits his mobility and ability to lift heavy objects. They live day by day not knowing what tomorrow may bring them. When they have 10 lei (less than $1USD) they go to the store to buy something to eat.  They are looking for the cheapest food, usually some dry pasta. They buy about 2 kilos which they boil and eat three times a day. They are happy when they have a bit of sugar to sprinkle on top. What the Little Samaritan team has brought today has brightened their lives: “I feel like all the clouds went away and the sun came into our home!”  Thank you.

Elderly woman, Liuba: “I feel like a stray dog waiting for someone to throw me a piece of bread. I haven’t reached the retiring age and my husband passed away a year ago due to pneumonia. He probably would have made it if we would have had enough money for some treatment. I wish it was me instead of him. The roof of the house is broken and I can’t fix it. Winter is here, I have no money, no food, and no firewood. I have worked the entire summer in vain because the drought affected all the crops.  But thanks to you, I will make it through this winter.”
In this village there are 120 families and 90 children, out of which 20 are too young to go to school. We left the village of Suhat with tears in our eyes. The difficulties these people face daily in this village are enormous, and it is a privilege for us to be able to bring help to them when they need it most.