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 The students had the unique and humbling experience of seeing what
life is really like for some of the most deprived and forgotten people
of Romania: the poor, the disabled, the elderly and the homeless. We
were welcomed into their homes, often small and dirty; we heard their
life stories and had the privilege of sharing their hopes and
disappointments in a raw and real way. The students learnt as much
about themselves as they learnt about others and some of them will
never look at life in the same way again. From personal experience I
know it was a powerful, moving and unforgettable time and I have no
doubt that some of the images they saw will stay with them forever.
 Having seen the pictures of the
work that Smiles do, our team decided
they wanted to raise money before they went. Within days our fund
raising seemed to gain a life of its own and our target of £2000 soon
turned in to a cheque of over £9,000 which was to be used to support
whatever projects the students decided needed our help. This gave them
incredible ownership of the whole experience and it was a powerful
tool, allowing them to be touched by the joy that comes with giving to
others. Whilst we were there, we were all overwhelmed by the plight of
a particular homeless family with two teenaged girls, living in what
can only be described as a shack in the middle of a rubbish dump.
However, our money has secured them rented accommodation and
sponsorship for the next year and that sense of making a real
difference has been an extraordinary experience and one which I hope
will help our students to grow into caring compassionate adults,
allowing the charitable work that has been started here to
multiply as
their lives go on.
A seamlessly organised, action-packed itinerary was planned for us and
we spent
our days in small groups on a roller coaster of family visits
accompanied by
wonderful social workers, delivering food to the poor,
talking to the elderly
and playing with the young and disabled.
We also painted walls and literally demolished houses during our
‘construction’ days. Our evenings were spent playing with abandoned
children housed at the children’s centre on site and visiting the
homeless. Any time left was spent chilling in the sunshine, playing
pool, or just chatting about the day’s events over a hot chocolate.
On three occasions we managed to leave behind the grim reality of life
and have a
well-earned break over a drink in a local café, bowling or
sightseeing in the mountains. These activities provided important time
for relaxation, fun and laughter to combat the feeling of frustration
and tears that fell due to our experiences of the day. This
combination of emotions made for a very unique and amazing trip, where
special bonds have been made between ourselves and the Romanian
people, which I have no doubt will last for years to come.
The trip was made possible by the high quality of administration and
support offered by the charity’s staff. The accommodation was of a
very high quality and the hospitality was faultless. In our short time
there we know we have made a small difference to a few lives in
Romania. It was a wonderful and worthwhile experience for us all,
which I hope will be repeated by our school in the years to come.
Lesley Jeanes
Group Leader
Pates Grammar School |
