The Miracle of Christmas
Every day, a needy family from Căpâlna is at risk of being crushed to death, as their home is ready to fall in on them.
On December 6th, St. Nicholas day, Habitat for Humanity Romania launched the national campaign “The truth is in your heart” which aims to give a powerful warning on poverty housing and human dignity. During the campaign, Habitat for Humanity Beius came across a shocking case which it had not come across in its 15 years of activities. It’s about the case of the Popescu family from Căpâlna in Bihor county.
„Christmas is coming and everyone has smiles on their faces. I invite you to use your imagination in this short exercise: Imagine you have three children, and you only have enough money for a few oranges and some sweets. Imagine that home means just 15 square metres (160 sq feet). Imagine that on Christmas Eve you’ll be washing clothes outside in the cold, with water which has been carried 2km (over a mile) in buckets. Imagine that your pets are lots of rats that run around on the floor in your home. But above all, imagine that you’re afraid to sleep in your own bed because you don’t know when a piece of your own house is going to fall onto your children, as they sleep, curled up next to you. Imagine the fear that your children, the only joy in your life could be taken away from you at any moment.” said Emil Popa, communications manager at Habitat. Unfortunately his words are not just an exercise, but he described in just a few words the lives of the Popescu family. Meanwhile the majority of people worry about less significant things in preparation for Christmas.
There are many families in need in Romania. According to the latest Eurostat study in 2009/2010, 42.5% of Romanians don’t have a toilet that is connected to a water network on sewer system, 41.2% don’t have a bathroom or a shower and 55.3% live in overcrowded conditions. Romania is in first place in Europe when it comes to the lack of basic utilities and minimum housing standards. Within these numbers, there are desperate cases like the one described above, that we have the chance to help with a simple gesture, through a small financial effort.
“It would be a miracle if this were to happen!” says Catrina Popescu in unbelief. “But we continually pray for it to happen. We know that only God can put good thoughts into peoples’ hearts to help us get out of here. We’re afraid for the lives of our children” continues Catrina with a trembling voice.
Images and chilling testimonies from the Popescu family home can be watched on YouTube next here.
Those who would like to contribute to the success of this campaign can make any size donation into the following accounts of Habitat Beius:
For USD: RO26 RNCB 0034 0218 0248 0002
For EUR: RO96 RNCB 0034 0218 0248 0003
For GBP: RO69 RNCB 0034 0218 0248 0004
For more details contact us direct at contact[at]casadraga.ro
