Sonia’s story

When Sonia joined Talita Kum, she wouldn’t eat and appeared malnourished. Nutrition is a key element in Blythswood’s after-school programme. Now Sonia is fit and energetic – so much so that she recently reached the 2,482 metre Retezat summit in Romania's southern Carpathians and was eager to learn rock climbing.

Coming from a low-income home, she enjoys life-changing opportunities at Talita Kum. “Sonia is well-mannered”, says programme director Adrian Popa. “She works slowly on her homework. She may not always manage to complete it but gets a pass.”

Sonia has picked up sufficient English from TV cartoons to be able to translate Bible stories and songs.
Sonia loves to dance and played a star role in a street musical which the Talita Kum kids performed for International Children’s Day. Adrian says “She is a very promising young woman with a good attitude and positive character.

George’s story

You could be forgiven for thinking George is playing table tennis, but he isn’t. His right hand is hidden but he isn’t holding a bag. He is playing HEADIS, a sport described as combining table-tennis and football, in which players use their heads to hit a ball back and forth over a table.

It’s not the only way that George uses his head. By 16, and half-way through secondary school, he believes it was more important for him to get a job than to continue his education. Adrian Popa who runs Blythswood’s after-school programme in Jimbolia, Romania, persuaded him to think again. “I confronted him about the need to make a decision on the Baccalaureate”, Adrian says. “He is afraid of failure and I accept that the result of his last exam was not encouraging. But I promised him that Blythswood would continue to support him if he was willing to make the effort.
“In the end he registered for a vocational programme which is less academic but still gives him the option of sitting the Baccalaureate exam.

“He is honest and consistent in his commitment. He is trying hard at maths and the Romanian language and he has good teachers here at Talita Kum. If he continues like this, I believe he can pass the exam”

Irinel’s story

Irinel can write but he will not speak. The extreme reticence of the 11-year-old boy perplexes the teachers at Talita Kum. “He joined us from a large family in poor circumstances”, says Adrian Popa, “He needs someone to walk him to school, otherwise he gets lost. He comes to TK with two of his classmates but he refuses to speak. If you ask him something he will only shake his head or nod in agreement. It is rumoured that he speaks to his younger brother but even his parents cannot confirm that” A cooked meal every day is a large incentive for the children to attend the after-school programme but the TK team have noted that Irinel hardly eats anything. “He sits at the table with the others but eats less than half compared to other boys his age”, Adrian says. “We believe his silence and his eating behaviour are his way of communication. Perhaps something traumatic happened in the past.

“He is having therapy with our psychologist and meanwhile his teacher keeps him busy with tasks he can complete. Although he says nothing, he seems happy to be here. We need to slowly build trust. He responds to kindness. His face tells you that he is grateful.”
Irinel is one of four children on the programme who have been professionally evaluated as having special educational needs. Adrian reckons that many more might be described as such. “Irinel has a realistic chance of recovery”, he says. “Others may have less potential. But they still deserve a safe and stimulating childhood. At Talita Kum, we aim to provide both.

Ramona’s story

Ramona is back in town! Now 25, she has her own little car which lets her commute from the village where she has always lived, 12 kilometres outside Jimbolia, western Romania. While her main job is with a multinational company, she also works part-time in a beauty salon in Jimbolia. And she says being back in Jimbolia puts a smile on her face because it reminds her of three very happy years she spent there at Talita Kum. “I remember the beautiful people I met,” she says. “To me, they were the family I so desperately needed at that time.”

The plays were a highlight of her time there. She says: “I remember the pure joy and happiness of rehearsing for The Carpenter Who Saved Christmas, the biblical story of Queen Esther, and the traditional Romanian story The Old Man’s Daughter and the Old Woman’s Daughter. “I was always encouraged to give it my all and to be the best version of myself that I could be. The staff truly listened to us. It was the best part of my childhood and I wanted it to last forever.”

Since starting Talita Kum in 2001, Adrian Popa has helped about 400 children from low-income families to overcome disadvantage, to persevere at school and to make the most of their God-given talents. “Some of them I don’t even recognise any more because they have grown and changed a lot,” he says. “But they recognise me. “Two years ago, a young woman ran after me in the street, hugged me and asked if I knew who she was. Of course, I did. She was the girl who for more than four years refused to be sold into marriage by her own family. Then she introduced me to her husband and two beautiful toddlers. “It is an incredible feeling. Just seeing them in town or hearing from them after some time makes me realise how deeply Blythswood has touched people’s lives.