School in Visoca

Visoca School Northern Moldova
In one of the most northern villages of Moldova is the Visoca School for Handicapped Children without Parents. Visoca is some 200 kilometers north of Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. This little village is truly in the middle of nowhere. You must travel on an unpaved road about 6 kms to find this little community of about 2000 people. The school is run by Visalii Bicu and an assistant. This school is home for 80 children who are in school by day and live in the adjoining dormitory. This school is the only school we know of that takes in handicapped children left on the street without parents to contact. This wonderful man has run and provided this facility since 1973. He and his assistant are angels. Mr. Bicu has been formally educated in Math and Physics, but has devoted his life to these children. This schoold teaches them to be self-sufficient. They plandt and harvest much of their vegetables used by the school. They learn wood working and shoe making and repair. This facility is from the Soviet (late 60's)era and is in poor condition. But, the staff here keeps it very neat and clean. Rodna and I are trying to get a project approved to provide an irrigation system to improve their garden production and to install about 50 Sq. Meters of pavestone for their play area. We hope to have this completed by the end of the summer, 2009. On a personal note, while Rodna was visiting with some of the children in their class room, she had an opportunity to speak with one of the children. She was then approached by this boy's twin brother who asked her not to separate him and his brother. He apparently thought Rodna might become interested in him and take him and not his brother. This was one of those unspeakable moments that touch your heart and you are never quite the same again.