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1 September 2003
With bags stuffed with books, small toys, sweets and games, a rather nervous group of people flew out to Bucharest to visit Orphanages and Hospitals in and around Bucharest and Brasov. Eleven volunteers from Radio Lollipop a Charity for children and a charge nurse from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children were about to Live a Dream.
We had fundraised for nearly nine months to make this trip possible and with the help of various local Edinburgh companies, we were on our way. Tired after our journey, we arrived at St Josefs Bucharest, to be greeted by around 40 children under ten who sang and danced for us and we were suddenly feeling better about the trip! We played games, face painted, and generally had a Serious Fun time with them. The children loved all the Scottish Dances and the tartan hats and we in turn were enjoying doing what Radio Lollipop is all about, making children SMILE! We were able to take Radio Lollipops core values of providing play, care, comfort and entertainment to some of the most deprived and excluded children in Romania.
Next stop St. Maries and this was a bit different. A rather dark and basic Orphanage with around 40 children aged from 4- 17 years. The hair of the younger children was cut very short and they were all in tracksuits making it difficult to tell whether they were boys or girls! They were a bit shy of us at first, so we got to work with the face paints on James, one of the Radio Lollipop volunteers and suddenly we had a queue wanting to become tigers and butterflies, clowns and monsters. With the Hokeycokey Fast Food Song and Cheeky Girls blasting out on the ghetto blaster, we suddenly were at a party! The children were having fun and were laughing. Success!!
Pinocchios the next day was different again as most of the children had lived on the streets and in the sewers. When you see young men of 16yrs. wanting their faces painted, you realize how little of a childhood they had experienced. We were all a bit shell shocked by that visit but that was the reason we were in Romania. To play with Children.!! Leaving for Brasov the next day, we passed through some beautiful countryside and we were soon at our next port of call. Daniel Hristeau who runs a charity called F.A.S.T. was waiting to show us his latest project Kidland a club for children from poor backgrounds. Here they were able to learn English and basic computer skills. They are the lucky ones!
The next visit is the Minut Print an Orphanage for 250 children under 4 years. We are told not to take photographs and we are not allowed to look around. We are taken to a play room and there are around 40 toddlers and soon with the aid of music, crayons and face paints, we once again have a party atmosphere. We wave goodbye and set off to meet Daiel and his team who are taking us to the village Zizin, where there are over 700 children in the poorest of conditions. They are Gypsy children and we are all a bit worried about how we can play with them in the middle of a field but with speakers that Daniel has brought, we soon have them dancing etc. and once again they love being transformed into Tigers etc. by the talented hands of the face painters! The sight of a whole village young and old, holding hands as we all belted out Auld Land Syne was a sight to behold.
We have a day off and our new Romanian friends take us into the mountains for a barbecue. This is such a beautiful country and they are happy to show us the sights. Monday is our last day and we visit a center for Special Needs children. The staff here are a bit wary of us but they too soon are clapping and moving to the music! The Director thanks us and asks if we will be back! I really hope we can one day!
The drive back to Bucharest is more solemn and everyone has their own thoughts! We all have the same feeling that we will never be the same again but we all feel that this wont be the last time that we visit this lovely country. Hopefully we can help people like Daniel and his team and through fun, laughter, music and play we can make these children have a childhood.
Joyce Paterson
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Radio Lollipop
Royal Hospital for Sick Children
Edinburgh
UK
