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| Three SOS children in Romania |
August 11, 2011: Magda, an
SOS Mother in the
SOS Children’s Village at Hemeiusi, in
Romania, was raised as an only child. “All my life I dreamed of having many brothers and sisters,” she says.
Today, her desire for a large, bustling household has been realized. She is a loving mother to six SOS children. Two of them are now older teens transitioning into independence at the SOS Youth Facility in the nearby city of Bacau. “They visit on weekends and spend every holiday in the village,” she relates, happily. “They have strong bonds with their SOS brothers and sisters and together we are one big noisy family.”
Magda was born in a small town 18 miles north of Hemeiusi. Though she was trained in business and already had three children of her own, four years ago she turned to SOS mothering because she finds it fulfilling. “This is a lifestyle I always dreamed of having, but never knew existed. It makes me feel complete.”
She began working as a family assistant in the village and later became SOS Mother in the same home, one of four in the village. “I didn't have any doubts I would succeed in this calling, because, well, I am a mother.”
Keeping the Family Strong
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| SOS Family sitting at dinner in Romania |
Magda believes that tightly knit families make happy children. “We vacation together, go to the library, to museums,” she explains, referring to her SOS family. “Our favorite place is the park, where we go for picnics almost every free sunny day.”
Despite the joy she derives from her large family, raising children with unhappy pasts is not easy.
Every night after dinner she talks to her kids to understand their problems.
“My children have difficult life stories that affect them tremendously. Every day is a challenge.” She and they do not face this challenge alone -- a small team of counselors, psychologists, and pediatricians helps. Still, she is the first person her children run to when one scrapes his knee, another is scared by a nightmare, and another wants a hug.
SOS in Romania Since 1991
For two decades SOS has been giving loving homes to vulnerable Romanian children living in poverty. In addition to its Children’s Villages, SOS runs a full complement of schools and counseling centers that work to educate and strengthen fragile families living in nearby areas.
You can help more SOS Mothers like Magda love and support children who come from traumatic backgrounds by making a donation to SOS Children's Villages. Help bring love into the life of a child who's never known it!