Where It All Began

Our story began in 1991, when my late husband Bob and I first became aware of
the “Romanian Orphan Crisis” after the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and the Romanian Revolution in 1989. Moved by the plight of an estimated 250,000 orphaned children, we embarked on a mission fueled purely by faith and a desire to make a difference.

In the early days, we partnered with Romanian Connection, a charity based in our hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and established our first children’s home in Dorobanțu, Romania—a place of hope and a sanctuary for children we rescued from the horrors of state-run orphanages.
Our path crossed with Mariana Petersel in the early 2000’s, marking a pivotal moment in our mission. As the Executive Director of The Village of Hope Romania, Mariana brought not only her unwavering dedication to rescuing children, but also her vision, expanding our reach and deepening our impact.

Under her leadership, and in close partnership with her Non-Government Organization (NGO), Generatie Tanara Romania (Young Generation Romania), we have been able to expand our services to combat human trafficking and rescue at-risk children for the last 23 years.
This partnership has been the cornerstone of our work, allowing us to provide hope and support to the most vulnerable in society – our children.

Forward Momentum…

We have moved our facilities from the rural village of Carani to a more central location in Timisoara. This move represents our commitment to the future. We made the decision to relocate because the authorities in Carani informed Mariana the building code had changed, and we could no longer operate as a children’s home if we didn’t build an individual suite for each child which had to include a bedroom, a toilet, and a shower.

As you know, we had a beautiful building in Carani, with sufficient bathrooms, bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, classrooms and a playroom. The cost of approximately $1,000,000 to modify the Carani building to this “new government code” was too high, and would have caused us to shut our doors forever.

The decision to sell the property in Carani and move to a new facility in Timisoara has allowed us to reach even more children. We currently serve 220 at-risk children in poor, rural areas of Romania providing them with care packages filled with food, clothing, hygiene items, medical supplies and school supplies – and that number increases every month.

We also serve as a daycare for children whose parents cannot afford childcare while they work, hosting about 5-10 children each day. We hold classes for university students teaching about human trafficking and provide educational resources to teachers, professors, and medical professionals throughout Romania.

Rescuing and caring for at-risk children, spearheading prevention campaigns, and advocating for justice and support for trafficking victims are at the heart of our mission. Mariana, Francisc, and our dedicated team on the ground are the life force behind these endeavors, striving each day to bring about change and nurture futures filled with hope and possibility.

As you can imagine, our journey has not been without its challenges. The stark realities of human trafficking, increasing levels of poverty, and the roadblocks put in our way by the Romanian Authorities have tested us to the limit.

But. . . how do you put a price on the 5,000 children we’ve have rescued in the last 33 years?

Our Mission Statement