Romania Outreach 2014

I recently spent some time with the Roma, commonly known as gypsies, in the Transylvania region of Eastern Europe.  Based on linguistics and genetics, it is believed the Roma originated in northern India and migrated to Europe and other parts of the world.  These group of people have faced centuries of persecution involving enslavement, child abduction, women having their ears cut off, and hot iron branding.  During World War II, the Roma were victimized, resulting in 2 million deaths. 

The Roma remain an oppressed group and many avoid assimilation, resulting in isolation.  They lack access to schools, jobs, housing, health care, and social services.  This leads to poverty, crime, disease, and substance abuse.

Roma house.  Using whatever they can to hold down the roof.  

Soiled diapers litter the ground.

Inside a Roma home.

outhouses.

Primitive stove used for heat.

My trip was coordinated by European Initiative (EI), a ministry in Berlin, Germany founded by my friend's parents, Jeff and Barb Serio.  Jeff wrote a great article titled "Survivors" about our Romania experience on

EI's website.  I had a great experience with this ministry.  It was well organized and the members are very knowledgeable and caring.  If you are interested in going on a mission trip, click here for their future trips.

from left to right: Elias EI member, Roma man, Jeff Serio EI director, me

How I Decided to Go to Romania

A couple months ago, my friend Abby told me that her dad was looking for an RN to teach hygiene to gypsies in Romania.  I told her I was interested because after going to Haiti in 2012, I knew I wanted to continue helping people around the world.  A few days later when I was in my photography class, I told a classmate about the trip and it turned out her parents knew the leaders of the ministry.  The classmate is also an RN and had taught hygiene in Equador!  It didn't take long before she and I felt we were meant to travel to Romania together.       

my new friend who I met in photography class, Kim, and me at layover in Munich, Germany    

Kim and I left Dallas and flew 3 hours to DC, 9 hours to Germany, and then another hour to Cluj-Napoca, Romania's second most populated city.  We went straight to the mall and purchased hundreds of jackets to hand out to the Roma people in their villages later that week.  

Bags full of jackets.  Success! 

  

 Teaching at Buckner House

The next 2 mornings, while most of the group went to a local school to minister to the children, Kim and I taught Roma women at the Buckner House using a translator named Orsi.  Our other EI member, Kathy, taught the women about spirituality.  The women were very receptive and entertaining!  

Buckner House.  I commend them for their efforts in helping Roma orphans.  A staff member told me when the orphans first came to Buckner, they were afraid to shower for fear that they would get washed down the drain.  They now understand the importance of hygiene and go home to teach their parents.

Kim and I taught basic hygiene, women's health, nutrition, cardiovascular disease, and smoking cessation.

Along with hygiene teaching, Kim and I used our love for photography to take portraits of the women and print the pictures out for them.

Me testing out camera on our translator, Orsi.

I highly recommend this battery operated Epson PictureMate PhotoCharm  printer for its quick printing, quality, and smudge free print.

Some of the Roma women with Kim and me.

Roma Village

We visited four villages in 3 days.  We handed out jackets, groceries, shoes, and shared the gospel.

bags of groceries that we handed to Roma families

Kim and Yanira at the Roma town's sign. 

outhouse.

Roma Children

Yanira showing picture on her camera to the children.

Kim taking a picture.

There is a story to this picture.  Read below for the story.

The story "A Close Call" is an article I wrote for Eurpoean's Initiative website.

A Close Call

THAO NGUYEN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30TH 2014

Along with the amazing and passionate members of European Initiative, I recently visited indigent Roma (gypsy) villages in Transylvania, Romania.  With camera in hand, what I captured through my lens were deplorable living conditions of an oppressed and persecuted society. Families of multiple generations live in one-room homes made from mud and sticks, with no electricity or plumbing.  Outside the homes, soiled diapers and trash were scattered throughout the muddy grounds.  Dogs slept atop heaps of garbage.  Chickens ate the garbage, while roaming among the filth.

While walking through these impoverished villages during cold and gray January days, what warmed my heart was the smile and laughter of the Roma children.  With disheveled hair and wearing clothes that didn’t properly fit them, they happily posed for me and enjoyed seeing their pictures in my camera.  As I continued to take photos of the children, I would later find out that one particular image in my camera would leave an imprint on my soul.

It was after 5:00pm and the village was a sea of darkness - there are no streetlights in rural Romania. My EI group was determined to visit the last home in the village because we were told of a young boy who had a pressing need. We squeezed into the one-room home that was packed with family and neighbors. We were directed to the young boy and were told that he tried to commit suicide earlier that day.  His family pulled down his collar to reveal the rope burn around his neck, showing where he had tried to hang himself! It shocked us to think that this precious 12 year-old boy would try to take his life. As Jeff Serio, EI’s director, ministered to him, my heart cried for this little boy.  He didn’t know how much God loved him, and how He would never leave him without faith and hope.  That night, Jeff led the boy in prayer asking Jesus into his heart.

"Then people brought little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' " Matthew 19:13-14

The "particular image" I mentioned at the beginning of this article is of this little Roma boy; it is a photo I took of him before I knew his story.  It is a picture of him quietly peering over a fence looking at me when I first arrived at his village.  When I took the photo, I didn’t know he had tried to end his life just hours earlier.  It put things in perspective for me.

As we walk the streets in our daily lives, there are many opportunities to reach out to others.  Every day is a gift from God and we can’t be so consumed with our own lives that we don’t make time for others.  People, even young children, have a story. Many times they just need someone to listen to them.

Don’t take a single moment for granted!  That person you’ve been meaning to speak to might not be there tomorrow.

Help-Portrait Romania

 In 2011, my friend Kasie told me about an organization called Help-Portrait which is a global movement where photographers, hair stylists, and make-up artists use their time and tools to help people in need.  In Romania, I took family portraits and printed it for them.

family waiting for their portrait to print

16 year old mom with 1 year old infant.

There was no electricity in this house.  I used my phone's flashlight so this woman could see her photo.

Romania Outreach video

awesome video by Alex Zehrer

What an incredible trip.  I worked with an amazing group of people.  We traveled from the U.S., Berlin, Croatia, and Serbia to come together for an unforgettable experience in Romania.

Our EI group with translators at Buckner House.  Do you see something strange in this picture?  (Very funny Daniel!)