The packing team in Horley usually meets on the first and third Friday of each month but this month the third Friday is Good Friday, meaning that the team’s next packing session will be on 2nd May. Our packing teams, both in Horley and in south Wales, are getting older (and frailer!) but they remain enthusiastic – come and join them! The needs in Romania no longer have the public focus that they once had but there are still many households who are being left behind by progress elsewhere in the country. We are providing help of some sort to approximately 400 households on a regular basis.
We have finally been able to instal the second set of solar panels at Casa Neemia. These panels were donated to us but poor weather and a shortage of contractors delayed their installation. The panels will help to reduce the costs of providing accommodation at Casa Neemia and we hope that they will generate sufficient power to give a surplus which can be sold back into the grid.
Casa Neemia is now home to 15 people, both Romanians and Ukrainians. The latter are families from the area now dominated by Russia and include one disabled person who needs ongoing medical treatment. There is good co-operation between the two groups.
Our dedicated staff and volunteers have been able to help many people during the past few months. This help can be in the form of clothing and household items, sponsored payments for firewood or as part of the distribution of short-dated food from a local supermarket. In addition, we have been offered the opportunity to hold a pre-Easter appeal at two branches of the supermarket. The collection at Christmas was very successful and, at the time of writing, it looks as though this collection will enable us to help more people to enjoy Easter.
One factor that adds to household poverty is a tendency to low economic activity amongst those who should become the next generation of bread-winners. A recent report indicated that Romania holds the EU record for the highest number of pupils dropping out of secondary education prematurely. At the same time, some 25% of school-leavers do not find jobs, probably due to unrealistic expectations resulting from the prominence given to a number of ‘high-rollers’ on social media. It is likely that many of these young people will be tempted by what they perceive further west, thereby deriving the country of greater economic prospects. It was well said “The poor you will always have with you”.
This Month’s Featured Photos
Solar panel installion: Fiddlers on the roof … A dry-weather job … Drone view
Packing, ploughing and playing: Packers at work … Preparing for planting … What goes up
Sharing with others: Well-filled trolleys … A grateful family … A donation of mattresses
Last Month’s Statistics
Awaiting preparation
This Month’s Prayer Notes
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Link to this month’s Prayer Notes
