The Creşa (Cresa means day care for children) Kindergarten is in a small village in northern Moldova. This facility is over 100 years old. It serves 30-40 children from a year and half to three years of age. Four well-trained educators teach and care for these children. There are also community volunteers who regularly work at the school each day. There is no running water in the school. Most of the volunteers remembered the same beds, furniture and toys from when they attended Creşa Kindergarten as children. The chairs and tables are unstable and coming apart and pose safety hazards of the children. Many chairs have no back supports left in them. During nap time, the kindergarten children are placed four to a bed. These children come from homes where 70% of the mothers and fathers work out of the country in order to support their families. Many of these parents will likely not return to Moldova, and these children will be raised by relatives.
These low-income families are required to pay a fee each year for materials and minor repairs but unfortunately, it is not enough money buy new furniture. LDS Charities is donating 8 tables, 30 chairs, 5 lockers and 2 storage cabinets. Local villagers were able to repair the leaking roof, fix windows and repaint the interior of the school house. They did this at no charge to the school.
The ceremony celebrating the new furniture and repairs was held on July 11. The children put on a program for us. We were greeted by the mayor and many community leaders, who thanked us very sincerely for the Church’s donation.
