In the image of God

The doors of the Sfanta Macrina Drop-in Centre for Street Children are always open. Night or day, children living on the streets of Bucharest can come in and get a hot meal and a bath. And they can hear the Word of God.

On the Monday morning that I visited the centre, 10 children and a puppy, which was passed from lap to lap, were attending a Bible lesson. Bibles*, provided by the Interconfessional Bible Society in Romania (IBSR) as part of an Opportunity 21 project (see also), were handed out, and the children were told to turn to the Gospel of Luke.

One of the older girls began to read, and although some of the children began to fidget after a while, most of them listened intently and read along. Soon, it was 12-year-old Alexandra’s turn to read, and she did so fluently. She read from Luke, chapter 1:

n Street children enjoy a game of cards in the Sfanta Macrina Drop-in Centre

“He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things.” (Luke 1:52-53)

Resonance

“Alexandra does not know her father and hardly ever sees her alcoholic mother,” she said. “One day, when she could take no more abuse, she ran away from home. On a field just outside Bucharest she built her own hut out of sticks and covered it with plastic. She earns a living by begging and selling merchandise in the streets to motorists waiting at the traffic lights.”

Alexandra’s pretty face and mild nature belie a very strong will, which helps her get through each day.

n Alexandra, absorbed in a Bible story

“Despite a life so tough we can hardly imagine it,” continued Dr Deaconu, putting her arm affectionately around the little girl, “every morning she puts on her ragged coat and the red knitted cap she insists on wearing, and goes to school at 8 am sharp, ready for her daily lessons.

“Alexandra has been let down by all the adults she has known in her short life but here, at the centre, we try to show her trust and help her find self-confidence. I always tell the children who come here for the first time: ‘I trust you and you can trust me.’”

Dr Deaconu explained that the centre has some rules by which the children must abide:

“No smoking and no sniffing glue (see box). And no swearing, because here we respect each other. When they first come they are very aggressive and try to manipulate you, but when you have won their trust they will do anything for you.”

Dr Deaconu also shared the stories of other children at the Centre.

Hates men

“Do you know why some of them look so sleepy?” she suddenly asked. The explanation was chilling:

“Because it is so dangerous for them to fall asleep on the street at night. They can get killed by rival gangs. It is much safer to sleep during the day. God’s Word comforts them in their rough daily lives but also encourages them to get off the streets by providing them with the personal and moral strength they need.”

Most of Bucharest’s 4,000 street children sniff glue as a way of escaping from their problems. A can of glue costs about 50 cents. Some of it is then poured into a plastic bag and the fumes inhaled. Oxygen to the brain is cut off and, for a few minutes, hunger, cold and pain cease to exist. Prolonged sniffing, however, kills brain cells and can cause permanent damage. Although not as addictive as heroin and cocaine, glue is highly sought after by street children, many of whom spend any money they have on glue rather than food.

Dr Deaconu pondered a moment. “Sometimes I wonder what kind of person I would be if I was forced to live on the streets – wouldn’t I steal to get food?” she said. “We are certainly not entitled to condemn anyone. It can be very consuming to work here but the love and care we try to give these children is returned tenfold.”