PARTNER PROJECTS

PEOPLE TRAFFICKING –
RESCUE AND PREVENTION

Trafficking of teenage girls in Moldova for the international sex trade is rife.
Our partners have experienced this terrible exploitation in their own communities where many children are left to fend for themselves as parents go abroad in search of work. Our partners are engaged in a range of initiatives to reduce the risks to vulnerable children from exploitation by criminals. Projects include: advocacy for the poor, work skills training and educational opportunities for young people, summer camps for children ar risk, and after school clubs/centres where children, teachers and parents can receive advice and guidance. On occasions, this may include practical help to retrieve a child who has been trafficked. Sadly, those at greatest risk are often girls who have lived their lives in orphanages but on release are given no help to make the transition from institution to society.

In 1999 our partner in Tintareni who runs the Bethania Christian Relief Association responded to this problem by founding a home for up to 12 orphan girls. For the first time in their lives these highly vulnerable teenagers are now able to experience the warmth and care of a loving Christian environment. During a 3-year transition period they receive help to continue their education and learn a profession or skills that enable them to integrate into society.

"Today I praise God that He protected me twice from being trafficked. The Transition House social workers helped me make the right decisions and I thank God that He has put me among people that really care for me."
(Girl, name and age withheld)

"Here I found a totally new atmosphere of love, peace and acceptance. I have started to attend church and even if I don't understand a lot of things I am committed to give a chance to myself and change my life."
(Ex-orphanage Girl,16 years )

"Being accepted into this project, it was like a light in the middle of a tunnel and I hope now that I can accomplish my wish of becoming a normal human being."
(Ex-orphanage girl)

In January 2006, Bethania began a new project, the Shelter House, so that girls who have finished the initial programme and have found work or attending full-time educational courses in the nearby capital Chisinau still have a safe place to return for help and advice if they need it. The Shelter House has been operational in rented accommodation since 2005. A Christian Dutch charity, Hearts for Moldova, is doing a wonderful job in providing most of the running costs for the home and have undertaken to continue. Bethania's original aim was to provide long-term security for the project by raising funds to build a new shelter house. However, in October 2007, with the kind help of the Spring Harvest Charitable Trust giving a donation through BREADLINE, Bethania has been able to buy the property from its original owner.

"I know I have a retreat place to come to with loving people to help and guide me when I have problems. Also the project helps me with pocket money (17 Euro a month), which is essential to help me continue with my studies and buy basics. During the week all of us are spread out in Chisinau living in different places. It's good to come home and be together again to share with each other in a real home with house parents like a mother and father to us. During holidays when other students go to their villages we do not have to be left alone, we can come here to our home!"
(Girl, 19 years)

A message from one of the Shelter House girls to all who attend Spring Harvest 2007: .
"Please pray for us and the orphans in my country and if possible to help with the money for the Shelter House and through this give the love of God. Your love will demonstrate that there is a God who cares and loves. Please help us. I am sure all the girls are thankful for what you give. May God bless you and give to you in many ways for what you give to help us girls have abetter life and future."

Similar projects to reduce the risk of child trafficking, through education, advocacy and practical support,, are badly needed in communities right across Moldova. Moldovan churches have the people and motivation to make a real impact in their communities.

We hope and pray that in 2007 we can raise £20,000 to help our partners in Moldova continue to develop their ministries with ‘children at risk’ from trafficking and for them to encourage and help other churches in poor communities do the same.

BREADLINE is a member of:

DANCU - TABITA ASSOCIATION
POOR FARMERS' MECH SUPPORT PROJECT

With unemployment reaching 80-90% in many rural communities in Moldova and good land remaining fallow because poor farmers cannot afford to work it, thousands of vulnerable children and elderly people are being left to fend for themselves in remote villages, as parents and young people are migrating overseas in search of work. A number of our church partners are seeking to reverse this trend by implementing programmes in which poor farmers are given free start-up assistance to work their land again and create a sustainable livelihood.

In 2005-06, our partner in Dancu helped over 70 farmers to get on their feet and the Churches Tabita Association hopes to help a further 100 families in 2007-08.
These case studies represent just 3 of the 70 farmers who have been helped by the Christian Tabita Association in Dancu. Dumitru Cravenco, Pastor of the local Baptist Church, is also President of the Tabita Association and is himself an active farmer who does much of the ploughing, seeding and harvesting in support of some of the poorest families in the community. We are extremely grateful for the support Tearfund and BREADLINE supporters have given to make this project possible.



Nicolae (74 years) Lives with wife Sylvia and nephew Vadim (17 years). State Pension £15 per month. Farms 2 hec. In 2006 Tabita helped to plough, seed and harvest 1.2 hec of previously fallow land. Market fee for mechanisation support is normally £30 per hec. Tabita support was free, including seeds. Crops - sunflower and maize. Per ton harvest 20% better than 2005, leaving surplus sunflower seeds and maize to see family through winter and sell for cash as prices rise. With Tabita's help this autumn he has ploughed and seeded 1.2 hec with winter wheat. With the profits from this year's crop he was able to pay 50% of the mechanisation fee for next year's crop; the balance was free, but next year he should be in a position to pay the full market rate.

Commenting on the impact of the Tabita Mech Project on his family's life Nocolae said
“I thank God that this year He has given us a surplus of sunflower and maize which will now keep us for the winter and which we can turn in to cooking oil, animal feed and food for our family. My nephew Vadim needed a future. He can stay working the land now and stay in his village, instead of going away. We know our land has good possibilities and we will never sell it like some are to big companies.”

Petru (59 years) lives with wife Maria (60 years) and 5 children aged 20-30 years. Owns 4 hec of land but in recent years has only been able to afford to use .50 hec. In 2006 Tabita gave free support to plough and seed all land. Main crops sunflower and maize. The results were astonishing. Petru now holds the record for the best harvest in the village. Last year he barely managed 1.2 ton of maize per half hec, in 2006 he harvested 14 ton per hec. In addition, his equivalent sunflower crop increased by 30%. He aims to sell 50-60% of his crops and keep the balance for his family and animal feed and for autumn/spring seeding.

Commenting on the impact of Tabita Mech Project on his family's life Petru said:
“ One of the big lessons I have learned is that if you work the land well it will harvest well. Tabita has helped us to work land well. Now I have the best harvest in Dancu. In my life I have never had such a good harvest. Now I never want to sell my land. I want to stay in Dancu and be a good farmer.”

Nicolae (32 years) lives with wife Nadia and 3 children 3-5 years and mother and father in law. Owned .50 hec in 2005, but Tabita's free mechanisation support and seeds from autumn 2005 gave him the confidence to buy a further 2 hec (through a loan from a relative in Chisinau). According to Tabita, Nicolae is one of the most enterprising and ambitious farmers in Dancu with plans to buy more land from the profits of his harvests.

Commenting on the impact of the Tabita Mech project on his family's life:
“There is a big difference now in the size and quality of my harvest. This year because of good quality seeds provided by Tabita and very good quality tractor drivers I have harvested 12 tons of maize for 1 hec and produced some good quality sunflower seed for the next harvest. I now have enough profits this autumn to pay Tabita 50% of the cost of mechanisation and to pay off more of my loan. For me the land is my life. I have to think ahead and plan. I have a vision for 2 more hec of land (cost 400 Euro). I want this extra land because it will give me the flexibility to make my farm even more productive and allow me stay in Dancu rather than migrate."

In 2007-08 Pastor Dumitru and his team would like to help a further 100 farming families get back on their feet. Dumitru's passion for helping the poor and bringing the love of Christ into his community both in word and action is something very special. The start-up cost of helping a farming family to make its land productive again and to help it out of the poverty trap, is about £200 (includes, ploughing, seeds, harvesting).