Christmas seems far away from the small house where the four sisters live with their mother Stefana and her partner in Romania. The weathered, two-roomed home has no running water or inside toilet or bathroom. The few pieces of furniture rest on a cold dirt floor covered with old carpets. There is little to do and nowhere to go, especially as the girls don’t go to school.
Denisa, 16, and Andreea, 13, are the eldest girls, and over the past few years, they have spent a lot of time taking care of their two younger sisters, and now there is a new baby on the way. Denisa dropped out of school after fourth grade to help at home, and Andreea has stopped going too.
Stefana’s partner earns low wages in temporary jobs, and the girls are aware of the frequent arguments that the couple have over money. Often the children don’t have enough to eat.
The harsh poverty that the girls live in has given them little capacity to dream about the future. When asked about their hopes and dreams, they smiled and shrugged. “I would love to become a shop assistant,” Denisa offered. She is planning to leave home soon and live with her boyfriend in the same village.
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Such unrelenting poverty is a cycle that’s difficult to break – but Mission Without Borders’s child sponsorship program has high hopes for the girls’ future.
In 2023, Denisa and her three sisters were enrolled and began receiving regular support: parcels of food and hygiene items, clothing, school supplies and firewood. Andrei, the staff member who visits them, has been trying to persuade Denisa how important it is to go to school.
Kids are always excited to open the Operation Christmas Love boxes to discover what's inside
“No matter how hard I have tried to encourage her towards education, the challenges within her family have made her vulnerable. Denisa is overwhelmed by the tensions at home,” Andrei said.
He is also working hard to support Andreea in returning to school and to help Viviana attend kindergarten more regularly.