Sewing/Craft

This program was launched for teenage girls on the Jacodu project with a view to teach them skills to make items of clothing and soft furnishings that are sold, to help make the project self-sufficient. Eventually the items will extend to candles and jewellery, the teenagers will have learned skills and a trade that will see them part of a profit-sharing project. This also gives them the opportunity to learn how to manage money and how to be financially independent.

Transport

We provide transport for children to travel from Jacodu to Vetca for school, and also from Jacodu to Sangeorgiu de Padure for those who attend further education. Without this transport to school, these children wouldn’t attend and would abandon school.

The project also makes transport regularly available for, access to health care, access to medication and access to legal aid. Jacodu is a remote village where not even a doctor is available on a weekly basis, when the doctor has visited, there is no means to access a pharmacy or specialist doctors. A transport program takes prescriptions for medication to a pharmacy fifteen miles from the village and is available to make hospital visits.

Often it is necessary to obtain new or renew existing legal documents, register babies, apply for or renew identification papers for teenagers and adults. Without transport the families at Jacodu have great difficulties in attending to these issues.

Agriculture

Over the many years that Love Light Romanian has been working in Jacodu we have always grown our own crops; this has expanded over the years and we now have larger fields and more growing areas. We have multiple Poly Tunnels where we grow vegetables, the produce that we grow is for use at The Sanctuary, most of this is frozen and preserved to be eaten over winter. The children also have a gardening project, the produce they grow they take back to their families. This activity shows both the children and the families what the children can achieve.

School Equipment

Education is the heart of the project, therefore school items are collected and distributed to the two schools associated with Jacodu, as well as the education program. The appeal is on-going and items are collected and delivered throughout the year. The two schools have poor resources and the families from the project have no means of purchasing school equipment, therefore this appeal ensures that the children receive the same chance to learn as the other pupils.

Summer Activity Program

Our summer activity program has taken place over many years, both for the Sanctuary residents and also the young people from our Roma support projects. We welcome volunteers and lasting friendships are made. The program can be made up of time in the mountains, either at a hotel or a camp, day trips, activities are arranged around the skills of the volunteers. Much fun is always had by all and many memories are made.