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| A Place Where My Children Are Loved |
| My name is Adina*, I am 28 and I am from Bucharest. I have two children: a boy of 16 months and a girl of three and a half years. When I first came to the "Casa Agar" Maternal Center at Touched Romania Foundation [supported by United Way Romania] I said to myself: "Wow, what a nice place!": everything looked as if from a fairytale, I met warm people, in a welcoming house. I can say it was a miracle for me. Imagine a seven-month pregnant woman with a toddler by the hand and no place to go. |
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| That’s why I say the Maternal Center is my second family. I don’t think I can put into words how much people here helped me, how patient they were with me and how they loved my children and continue to love them.
I stayed here for a year and half. I gave birth here, I put my daughter in kindergarten and I took care of the baby boy. After six months I started taking courses in hair-styling so I can learn a profession I liked. I wanted to start working, but employers only wanted experienced workers. Finally, another mommy from here helped me get a job in a restaurant as cook. I’ve been working here for seven months now. When it was time to leave the Center it was very hard. I was afraid of being on my own, I didn’t know how I was going to make it with two children. |
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| Before I left, God made another miracle: my father, whom I hadn’t seen in years, wanted to see me and my children. I hadn’t known anything about him in 10 years, but now we made up and I am not alone anymore. The reunion was wonderful, I couldn’t believe it was happening and I am so grateful to the staff here for helping me rekindle with Dad and for helping me understand how important it was to have a good relationship with my family. |
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| When I left the Center I rented an apartment with another resident from the Center. We share the costs. Leaving wasn’t easy. When I said goodbye to the manager, I burst into tears. But she encouraged me and helped me deal with it. After we talked, I found the courage to start my new journey. |
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| Now I live with Simona*, who is a mother of three, I go to work and I take my children to kindergarten. |
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| Adina and Simona are two of the 100 mothers at risk who benefit from the United Way Romania’s support to overcome difficult times, protect their children and become financially and emotionally independent. |
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*Names were changed to protect those involved. |
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© United Way Romania
2008
