”We are not alone” – emergency aid helps distraught families

ROMANIA- Harsh weather conditions over recent weeks, with temperatures plummeting to -25 degrees are taking their toll on many families in Dolj County. A family with five children from Sfircea village in Bralostita commune, sleeps in a single room, in an old house with thin walls. They must keep the wood fire burning because without insulation the home is no match for the cold.  Unfortunately, their heating supplies are running out – and so are their food stores.  

The Sorescu family uses their neighbours’ water because they don’t have their own supply.  “We worry about our children as we face the situation with great difficulty. We hope the weather improves soon”, says the mother. 

Life for the Sorescu family has never been easy. Parents Narcis and Cornelia care for their five children; Mario, 3, Paula, 9, Adel, 10, Iulian, 11 and Ionut, 14, using welfare payments from the government. The children’s allowances and welfare totals US$80 per month and falls far short of covering the children’s basic needs.

"There are many times when they [children] have to take turns wearing their gloves, their caps and warm clothes..."

During summer they rely on growing vegetables in their garden to feed the family and Narcis looks for odd jobs in the winter. “We have got a single stove and we are forced to sleep all in one room. It is in this room that our children eat, sleep, do their homework and play”, explains Cornelia.

But this winter their situation is much more difficult. “What is most difficult  is the way we deal with the frosty weather. The wood supplies we bought have already finished and we began gathering sticks in the field and in the forest. We carry them on our back and walk many kilometres in the frosty snow”, adds Cornelia. 

The decision taken by the County School Inspectorate to suspend classes temporarily was, for everybody, a relief.

“We could not send our children to school any more and the fact is that their clothes do not fit this harsh weather. There are many times when they have to take turns wearing their gloves, their caps and warm clothes,” shares Cornelia.

Her son Adel has had a cold with fever and cough for one week. The family doctor has provided them with medicine but if they had to buy it, they would not have the money.

At the same time World Vision Romania began an emergency aid distribution in Dolj County, providing families with blankets and food supplies to last at least one week.

The assistance means a lot to this family. “Thank you with all our heart. It helps us a lot and gives us the trust that we are not alone”, says the mother.

To date, another 66 families with about 185 children have received donations and the intervention has been extended this week to more than 100 families in Dolj County.

A fundraising campaign has been launched on World Vision Romania’s web page and in the national media to raise funds for further support to ensure children are cared for and protected.