We have been working with the same group of young people since 1996. Many of them come from Roma families and grew up in orphanages. When they turned 18 they were forced to leave the orphanage and find their own place. Most of them ended up living on the streets.
In the orphanage there is one law -- ‘survival of the fittest’, which means you have to fight to survive, an attitude comparable to drug addicts.
It was very difficult when we first started working with this group of young people, as their minds were completely focused on survival at all costs. They paid the price and faced the consequences. Their survival instinct became even stronger when they were forced to live on the streets. They were not prepared for this life at all, especially because in an orphanage they were not taught how to make any decisions themselves. All decisions were made by others and everything was taken care of. The only thing the children learned was to obey orders and instructions.
Street-life completely changed them; they lost contact with their relatives and moved to the nearest city. Since they had no shelter they would sleep outside on benches in a park and in the winter near the city’s central heating pipes. The life in the streets scarred these young people even more, because life on the streets is much harder than in the orphanages. These experiences left a severe mark on their lives. Because of these traumas, it is difficult for others to understand them, and they are ignored and rejected by society.
Several issues work against them: their lack of moral values and standards together with their Roma background and the fact that they have been raised in orphanages.
Unfortunately you can notice this in their behaviour, making it hard to find a steady job. Little by little we see positive fruit appearing in the life of the youngsters we work with. We see changes taking place in their way of living and thinking.
Those who fully put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ have adapted easier, and were better able to step out of their old life and break with the bad habits of their old lifestyle.
We also see parents raising their children in a better way. In Casa Lumina the children learn moral values and standards and social skills. They learn to be honest, to play together and to share. But above all they learn to understand the love of God and how they can pray for every detail of their life.
In the orphanage there is one law -- ‘survival of the fittest’, which means you have to fight to survive, an attitude comparable to drug addicts.
It was very difficult when we first started working with this group of young people, as their minds were completely focused on survival at all costs. They paid the price and faced the consequences. Their survival instinct became even stronger when they were forced to live on the streets. They were not prepared for this life at all, especially because in an orphanage they were not taught how to make any decisions themselves. All decisions were made by others and everything was taken care of. The only thing the children learned was to obey orders and instructions.
Street-life completely changed them; they lost contact with their relatives and moved to the nearest city. Since they had no shelter they would sleep outside on benches in a park and in the winter near the city’s central heating pipes. The life in the streets scarred these young people even more, because life on the streets is much harder than in the orphanages. These experiences left a severe mark on their lives. Because of these traumas, it is difficult for others to understand them, and they are ignored and rejected by society.
Several issues work against them: their lack of moral values and standards together with their Roma background and the fact that they have been raised in orphanages.
Unfortunately you can notice this in their behaviour, making it hard to find a steady job. Little by little we see positive fruit appearing in the life of the youngsters we work with. We see changes taking place in their way of living and thinking.
Those who fully put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ have adapted easier, and were better able to step out of their old life and break with the bad habits of their old lifestyle.
We also see parents raising their children in a better way. In Casa Lumina the children learn moral values and standards and social skills. They learn to be honest, to play together and to share. But above all they learn to understand the love of God and how they can pray for every detail of their life.
