Breaking the Cycle

In Romania, more than three out of every four Roma children leave school before completing their education. For many, poverty decides their future long before they have the opportunity to dream. But sometimes, the first step toward breaking that cycle begins with something as simple as a backpack.

Last August, while preparing backpacks for children in our Feeding Centers, Sister Sila asked if we had a few extra for two struggling families living in a remote village nearby. Curious to meet them, I drove out to deliver the backpacks myself. What I discovered broke my heart.

Among the children was Daniel, a 13-year-old boy who was only in the fourth grade. Together with his four siblings and five cousins, he walks and travels an hour and a half each way, every single day, because there is no school in their village. Despite the obstacles, these children are determined to keep learning, believing that education offers a way out of poverty.

Since that first visit, our relationship with these families has grown. We regularly bring food, organize activities through our Youth Transition Program, and this summer we are taking the children to a Christian camp where they will hear about the love of Jesus and discover the purpose He has for their lives.

A backpack filled with school supplies is so much more than notebooks and pencils. It tells a child, “You matter. Someone believes in you. Don’t give up.” It opens the door to education, hope, and the opportunity to experience the transforming love of Christ.

Thank you for helping children like Daniel stay in school, grow in faith, and take courageous steps toward a future that can change not only their lives, but generations to come.



Emanuel Nistor

BOL - YTP Assistant

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