Improving the quality of life

Many orphan girls find themselves pregnant soon after they leave the orphanage, and in many cases they don’t have the support of family or even the father of their babies! Often times they end up abandoning their babies as soon as they are born or as soon as they realize they can’t provide for them. Not having a real parent role model makes things even more difficult.

We try to provide safety nets for these young families in order for the cycle of abandonment to stop with this generation of orphans.

Life skills is a program that helps orphans reach their maximum potential within their communities as well as discover their God-given talents and abilities. To assist in the development of each child, we use: seminars, computer classes, English classes, reading classes, counseling, sports activities and more.

Over the past year, we served over 100 orphans on a weekly basis. Our activities take place at the ministry center, and the orphans love coming here. They know this is a safe place where they can bring their concerns and needs.

Our biggest desire is for the orphan children to grow up knowing they have a Heavenly Father who loves them, has a plan for them and is always there for them. We do this trough personal relationships and weekly bible classes.

A small number of orphans are able to graduate from high school every year, and an even smaller number are able to attend university. We offer tutoring for the upcoming graduates as well as financial support for the university students.

Once the orphans are out of the state-run orphanages, they find themselves alone most of the time, with little support from anybody. We maintain contact with the orphans, even after they are no longer in the orphanages, and help them with food, clothing and medicine when we see them struggling or in need of these items. Some of the time, the children move in with relatives after leaving the orphanages. In these cases, we help not just the graduate but their entire family! One particular family did not have electricity so therefore no refrigerator. For this family, we purchased live chickens. By building a relationship with the relatives of the children and helping meet their physical needs, we have an open door to bring the Good news to them and show them their spiritual need!

Camp is the absolute highlight of the kids’ summer and a unique time to reach them with God’s love and the hope of the Gospel. For many of these orphans, our summer camps are the place they find a relationship with God and learn to love and trust Him. Camps provide Vesti Bune with the opportunity to bless many orphans at one time, introduce them to our programs and staff, and build a deep relationship with them.
The creativity and passion of U.S. and Romanian volunteers has transformed summer camp into an unforgettable experience for both kids and volunteers.

Construction projects are designed to involve our partners in creating a safe and fun environment for the orphaned children by building various playground structures and by making improvements to existing orphanages/group homes.

This is a very special time for both the children and the U.S. team members who come to serve with us. The orphans experience a week of fun activities and field trips together with their American friends, this being a wonderful time to build relationships and share the love of God with the orphans. At the end of the Christmas week, we have a Christmas concert where the children are able to perform in front of their friends and teachers! It all ends with Christmas gifts and a fun pizza Christmas dinner.