All Mimiza can say is ‘thank you’
Mimiza used to say ‘no one cared’ when she and her family survived by salvaging from the rubbish dump. Now all she can say is ‘thank you! Thank you!’
Living in a rural area outside Durres, Albania, the Baca family were on the edge of society. Mimiza is unemployed, and stays at home to look after her three children. Her husband, Flori, goes out to look for construction work. When he can find it, he earns barely enough to buy food. Sometimes the family goes to bed hungry. It is a constant struggle just to survive.
When Mission Without Borders (MWB) became involved with the Baças, they were in great need. The children were malnourished and their home was in a terrible condition – with the children running about barefoot on cold, concrete floors. Mimiza and her husband had furnished their dilapidated two-room house with rotten armchairs they picked up at the dump.
Then MWB supporters began sponsoring the Baças through the Family-to-Family scheme. Immediately the Baças’ lives began to change. When asked by MWB ‘What do you need the most?’, Mimiza always responded with ‘thanks for coming here. Your interest in us is enough. No one cared about us before.’ The Baças have an injection of new life and constantly show gratitude at every visit from MWB.
Through our Urgent Needs programme, the Baças received food to keep them going. And MWB has helped the Baças to turn their house into a home: MWB has repaired the Baças old armchairs. Three-year-old Valentina’s broken bed is now fixed. The windows are repaired, so that they no longer let in the bitter wind and freezing rain. The children are now clothed in warm, new clothes. There is a new tablecloth on the table and a curtain in the window.
Mimoza keeps saying ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ She doesn’t ask for further assistance. Instead, she considers it a miracle that her family is touched by the hand of God – reaching out through MWB supporters.
