Teaching Gypsy Children To Read - Christian Emergency Relief Teams International

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CERT International
3211 Tabor Loop
Crossville, TN 38571
(931) 707-9328


Try to imagine life as a young Gypsy child, in a poor village, in the Transylvania Mountains of Central Romania. Your family of eight lives in a small two room house with a dirt floor, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing. During the harsh Romanian winters the house is heated by a small stove that burns corn husks. There never seems to be enough food. Although you are ten years old you've never been to school and you can't read. In Romania the public schools are free but parents have to pay for supplies and books; otherwise the children aren't accepted in the school.
Your parents, like most Gypsy parents, can't afford it. As far as you can tell your whole life will be lived just like this, in this same village, and your future looks bleak. Now imagine a new church has been started in the village by Christians from another town. In addition to Sunday School classes and lively worship services, the people of that church also bake bread to feed the hungry families of the village during the winter months. Your own family has received some and it sure was good! Then one day the pastor from the church comes to visit your parents. He says that the church would like to pay for the supplies and books so you and your brothers and sisters can go to school! Of course your parents agree and arrangements are quickly made for you to start school. How exciting! You are going to learn things. You are going to learn to read! The story above is a true one. Conditions like that exist in many Gypsy villages where CERT teams minister. And, most Gypsy children do not go to school for the very reason described above. To address this need CERT International has partnered with Betinia Baptist Church in Sighashora, Romania to enable Gypsy children to go to school. It only costs $50 per year to purchase all of the books and supplies needed to enable a Gypsy child to go to the public school for an entire year. Through friends like you CERT raises the funds and sends them to Romania. The Pastor of Betinia Baptist Church then purchases the needed supplies and brings them to the villages to be distributed by members of the mission churches, thereby becoming a gift from the mission church to the children and families of the village. In 2007 134 Gypsy children were able to go to school thanks to this program. In 2008 over 150 children were helped! If you would like to help send a Gypsy child to school click on the "Donate Now" button on the home page. If you would like to read more about this story click on the "I Can Read the Bible!" icon of Special Stories.