"My dream is to become a firefighter. I want to help people who need rescuing."

- Elisei.

We have all had big dreams of the future when we were young.

For many, these dreams become a reality, while for others they change in time as we recognise our individual gifts and skills. Education, both at school and university is central to that process, yet for so many of the children and families we work with, that education is denied them. As Radu, an MWB Family Co-ordinator in Romania, says, “Dreams do come true… but the children need someone to believe in them and support them in their education.”

Elisei is 7 and lives with his mother, Rahela, his sister, Erika (9), and his brother Matias (6), in a two-roomed Communist-era apartment in Victoria, Romania. Although Victoria is surrounded by the beautiful Carpathian Mountains, the town is crumbling and seems like a place without hope. There are very few job opportunities, and the dream of many people is to live somewhere else.

“I’ve never had a job,” Rahela says. “I only went to school up to the seventh grade. What can I do? We don’t have a place of our own, we have almost no income and the utilities haven’t been paid for some time now.”


Hearing of their difficulties, the Mission now supports them through our Sponsorship Programmes. This means they receive regular visits from an MWB staff member, Radu, who checks in on them. This autumn, as they start back at school, they will receive a backpack full of essential school supplies.

It would have been very hard, if not impossible, to buy them, without MWB. Now Elisei, Erika and Matias have everything they need and they’ll be determined to study hard.

While Rahela is explaining this, Elisei pipes up, “I like school. My dream is to become a firefighter. I want to help people who need rescuing and help save houses or other things that get on fire.” Radu, the MWB Family Co-ordinator, explains: “In many families, talking about your dreams is not something that happens much, and many children never get the chance to express these things out loud. They keep their dreams well concealed in their hearts, letting them slowly fade away.

“Dreams do come true and working with so many children over the years, I’ve come to realise that most of them do have the capacity to transform those dreams into reality, but they need someone to believe in them and support them in their education, help them stay focused and push away the fear of failure in their hearts.”

With your help, this autumn, hopes and dreams are possible, for children like Elisei, Erika and Matias. You see, at MWB we are passionate about the education of young people. As well as backpacks and school materials, last year nearly 600 children attended 17 After School Clubs. These clubs not only provide kids with a healthy meal each day, but they give them precious space for them to study and receive support from teachers.

Last year, Mission Without Borders distributed 8,000 backpacks full of school supplies to children in eastern Europe. This year we want to do more. We can only do this with your help — your gift can open the door to new opportunities, hopes and dreams. for children like Elisei.

A kind gift of £30 could provide one backpack and essential school materials for a child like Elisei, to ensure they start the new term with excitement and confidence. 

A gift of £50 could help cover some of the teaching resources and learning materials used in After-School clubs like the one in Victoria, opening the doors to a brighter future for children.

Thank you again for all your thoughtfullness, care and help — we really do appreciate all you do for the Mission.

 

 

 

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