If you haven't heard me mention Stella's Voice already (where the heck have you been?), then let me tell you something: if you have any desire whatsoever to do some good in this world, then you need to hear about this organisation. I avoid saying 'charity' because to me it sounds a bit detached, which this group is anything but.
The Situation
In Moldova today, there is one thing you do not want to be, and that is an orphan. If you are, it's pretty likely that you'll grow up being told you're worthless, that no one loves you, that no one wants you, that you have no future, that you're a burden. Or even worse, you might not grow up at all.
These children have never seen a flushing toilet. They have never slept in a warm bed, or been given food without having to literally fight for it. During the winter, with no double glazing or heating, temperatures drop well below freezing, and tragically, it's common for children and babies to freeze to death.
If a child does survive these conditions, it gets worse. They will be kicked out of the orphanage with the equivalent to thirty dollars, and from then on, they're alone. And that's when traffickers strike.
In Moldova, 20% of women are sold into slavery. That in itself is truly horrifying. Imagine knowing that one in five of the girls you know could be kidnapped and sold as a sex worker. It doesn't bear thinking about, does it?
But for children in Moldova it's a very real danger. Usually for girls, slavery means being forced to have sex with any number of men a day, contracting STIs and HIV. For young men, this is also a possibility, but more likely they'll be forced into manual labour and worked to death.
There are no words, really that can express the horrors that these kids face. It all falls short.
Stella's Voice
In 1992, Philip Cameron visited an orphanage where he was told that in December alone, 16 children had died from the cold. He quickly raised the money to replace the windows and install heating in the building.
But it wasn't enough.
Now, twenty years later, there are fifty-three young girls in Stella's House, 12 young men in Simon's House, and by the summer those numbers will have doubled!
Amazingly, these houses are not just youth hostels or somewhere temporary for the kids to stay while they get on their feet.
They are a home.
Visiting last year, I couldn't believe how beautiful and comfortable the houses were. There was nothing temporary about it. The kitchens were huge, the bedrooms were a little bit messy, the living room was always full of music and laughter. The girls were so happy and at ease there, because they knew that they were safe but above all, they were loved. Stella's Voice is incredible, because they aren't just a charity. They're a family.
When a child joins Stella's Voice, they are loved unconditionally from the get-go. Instead of being called worthless, they're told 'If you are born, God has a plan'. They're nurtured, and told that they can do anything. They call Philip and Chrissie 'Mum and Dad'.
In 2011, Philip bought an orphanage, refurbished it and began to move children in. I remember walking through the corridors of Providence last summer, being shown all of the rooms and just wanting to cry. Instead of mattresses on the floor, there were warm beds piled with colourful duvets and toys. Instead of moldy walls, there were finger paintings and butterflies. Thinking about what I grew up with, about everything my brother and sister have had, I started to realise just how much we'd taken for granted.
The kids aren't world-weary or tired, they're not afraid of their past or scared of the future. In fact they are (older ones included!) powerhouses of energy. You sit down for a break, and they just move on to the next game. And they never stop smiling. It's the kind of genuine happiness that you don't see often in our society.
And that's why I want to work with Stella's Voice. There are still so many babies going without food, without warmth, without anyone to just cuddle them and tell them 'I love you'.
That has to end.
There's no question about it. It may be a mammoth task, but seeing all that Stella's Voice has done and continue to do, I fully believe it can and will happen. One day, every orphan in Moldova will have a family, and know that they are loved unconditionally.
What Stella's Voice need the most is money. Building and maintaining houses, sending the kids to school and university, feeding them, keeping them warm all adds up to a LOT, as you can imagine.
To donate or find out more, visit the website
Or get updates on Twitter and Facebook
In Moldova, 20% of women are sold into slavery. That in itself is truly horrifying. Imagine knowing that one in five of the girls you know could be kidnapped and sold as a sex worker. It doesn't bear thinking about, does it?
But for children in Moldova it's a very real danger. Usually for girls, slavery means being forced to have sex with any number of men a day, contracting STIs and HIV. For young men, this is also a possibility, but more likely they'll be forced into manual labour and worked to death.
There are no words, really that can express the horrors that these kids face. It all falls short.
Stella's Voice
In 1992, Philip Cameron visited an orphanage where he was told that in December alone, 16 children had died from the cold. He quickly raised the money to replace the windows and install heating in the building.
But it wasn't enough.
Now, twenty years later, there are fifty-three young girls in Stella's House, 12 young men in Simon's House, and by the summer those numbers will have doubled!
Amazingly, these houses are not just youth hostels or somewhere temporary for the kids to stay while they get on their feet.
They are a home.
Visiting last year, I couldn't believe how beautiful and comfortable the houses were. There was nothing temporary about it. The kitchens were huge, the bedrooms were a little bit messy, the living room was always full of music and laughter. The girls were so happy and at ease there, because they knew that they were safe but above all, they were loved. Stella's Voice is incredible, because they aren't just a charity. They're a family.
When a child joins Stella's Voice, they are loved unconditionally from the get-go. Instead of being called worthless, they're told 'If you are born, God has a plan'. They're nurtured, and told that they can do anything. They call Philip and Chrissie 'Mum and Dad'.
In 2011, Philip bought an orphanage, refurbished it and began to move children in. I remember walking through the corridors of Providence last summer, being shown all of the rooms and just wanting to cry. Instead of mattresses on the floor, there were warm beds piled with colourful duvets and toys. Instead of moldy walls, there were finger paintings and butterflies. Thinking about what I grew up with, about everything my brother and sister have had, I started to realise just how much we'd taken for granted.
The kids aren't world-weary or tired, they're not afraid of their past or scared of the future. In fact they are (older ones included!) powerhouses of energy. You sit down for a break, and they just move on to the next game. And they never stop smiling. It's the kind of genuine happiness that you don't see often in our society.
And that's why I want to work with Stella's Voice. There are still so many babies going without food, without warmth, without anyone to just cuddle them and tell them 'I love you'.
That has to end.
There's no question about it. It may be a mammoth task, but seeing all that Stella's Voice has done and continue to do, I fully believe it can and will happen. One day, every orphan in Moldova will have a family, and know that they are loved unconditionally.
What Stella's Voice need the most is money. Building and maintaining houses, sending the kids to school and university, feeding them, keeping them warm all adds up to a LOT, as you can imagine.
To donate or find out more, visit the website
Or get updates on Twitter and Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment