Nightingales Childrens Project Cernavoda S.E. Romania

Nightingales was founded by local man David Savage from Galmpton. He went to Romania to help after seeing all those horrific pictures that we remember seeing on our TV screens, with babies in filthy cots, rocking to and fro, locked away in stinking orphanages. Their only world was their cot which was also their living area and toilet! No toys, no clothes and no love. David found such an orphange in Cernavoda down in S. E. Romania and set about making life better for the 180 little inmates. This of course meant putting in toilets, bathrooms, cleaning and feeding routines and lots of help and goods sent from the UK and organised by his mother Pat.

Once the orphanage was sorted out, David realised the desperate needs of many of the children with HIV, which they only had because of dirty needles or blood given for forms of treatment in any ailments.

£20,000 was raised and a school with dormitories for these children built in the grounds of the orphanage. They moved in in 1998 and loved their new home complete with Housemothers to look after them. Some sort of normality, love and care for the unloved. In fact the school is called Casa Fericirii "Home of Happiness". Unfortunately, a third of these children have now died but at least Nightingales are proud of the fact that they had given them love and as much happiness as possible during their short lives.

Paignton couple Reg and Julia Bale took over as UK Co-ordinators three years ago when Pat had to resign due to ill health. They now do lots of fund raising as well as filling up their van, (well known around Torbay and taking goods to Romania themselves, paying several visits each year.

The project now ongoing in Cernavoda is helping the extremely poor children and now has three classrooms up and running. In the spring when the worst of the very cold winter is over, work will start on a large extension, hopefully adding four more classrooms and also some bedrooms to give the children refuge from homes where they get beaten and put out on the streets.

Reg and Julia would be delighted to hear from anyone who could offer any help in the way of sponsoring a child (from only £15 per month - a couple of packets of cigarettes or a meal out!), working as a volunteer, either here or in Romania or offers of any goods either to sell or go to Romania.

Unfortunately, at present no second hand goods are accepted into Romania since Foot & Mouth but we want cuddly toys and second hand furniture.

IF YOU CAN HELP OUR CHILDREN PLEASE PHONE REG or JULIA 01803 527233.