Five impoverished families in rural Romania have moved into newly built and furnished homes ahead of what promises to be another bitter winter. Electricity, warmth and in-house water are all “firsts” for the 22 children escaping the cold.

“Winter was the worst time. Inside the house it was so cold my hands were freezing and I couldn’t write anymore. Now it is warm and good,” says eight-year-old Roxana.

Each house has three bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. There’s a stove in every room for heat. Every child has his or her own bed and the kitchens are complete with electrical equipment to warm the water.

Dry, warm, clean homes will help the children to live happier lives—and healthier ones.  There are also better opportunities for learning.

Opening doors

Lacramioara and his brother lived in a house affected by floods, with damp, musty walls. “Because of the dampness, Lacramioara became sick with pneumonia,” recalls his mother, Elena. “Now the children have good living conditions and new opportunities. They can even go to high school.” Their old house was located in a small, isolated village without a primary or high school. In their new location, there is a modern school and a good high school.

Georgiana and her sister used to live in an abandoned apartment, without running water and electricity. The family gathered sticks from the nearest forest to burn for warmth – with little success.

“Last winter, it was cold all the time inside the house,” the girl recalls. “We were dressed with sweaters as we had been outside. Now, I stay dressed only in a jersey because we have a steam-generating station that functions with wood and we have insulated glass windows.”

No more freezing water

“What I like most is to take a shower bath with hot water, whenever I want,” says Madalina, 11.  “Before, my mother washed us in the trough, once in a week. And I like that there is no need to carry pails of water every day from our neighbour as we did in the past.  We did not even have a tap in the old house.” Madalina remembers frosty days when the water would sometimes freeze inside the pail.

All the children love their new houses. Some still find it hard to believe that they’re really “home”.  Yet there’s much inside to convince them it’s real.

“I really expected to see an empty house, just with the whitewashed walls and no furniture,” says Ionut, 12. “When I saw the wardrobes, beds, writing tables, I was so happy. Everything is new and beautiful.” The bunk beds were a novelty for Ionut and his seven sisters and brothers. They “fight” each other to win the top bunk, so they can climb the ladder.

Happy and proud

“My heart is full of joy when my children come home with their classmates to do their homework together,” says Mirela, mother of eight. “This was impossible to do when we lived six or seven people in a small room. After we moved in, all the children from our village came to see the house and climbed onto the bunk beds. The children are proud of their new house, and relaxed.”

Emotional, she added: “This house is something wonderful, something I couldn’t do for my children in a lifetime, even working until an old age. Many people have given me a hand in my life, but nobody helped me like World Vision. Thank you”.

The new homes were built by the Saturn Foundation, which took part in last year’s Vega Charity Ball organized by World Vision in partnership with Vega Hotel and Power Marine Company.