Evdokia has been poorly rewarded for a lifetime of hard work. Born in 1937, she lives in a village in southern Moldova and spent her life working on a collective farm, which was typical of the soviet era. After it was shut down, she worked wherever she could, mostly labouring in the fields around her village.

Now in her old age she has outlived her husband and her two children and barely survives on a pension which equates to less than £90 per month. Valentina Feodorova from Bethany Baptist Church, Chisinau, distributed Blythswood shoeboxes in Evdokia’s village before Christmas.

“She now has only one grandson left,” says Valentina. “He visits her from time to time and buys her basic things from the local store. Because her pension is so small, she lives in one small room as it requires less firewood to heat. Her legs are in bad shape and she can hardly walk.”

Evdokia told Valentina that she used to hate Christian believers because she was taught to do so by the communist system. “But now she is glad to see us,” Valentina says. “She enjoys having someone to talk to and was thankful for the visit.”

Knitted items top Evdokia’s shoebox: staying warm is not easy during an east European winter