Week #56 of our 78-week humanitarian mission to Slovakia and Poland is in the books.

"Charity, a word that comprises love and justice, may well be the most sublime of all Christian virtues."- Diana Butler Bass

Slovakia fact of the week . . . Jozef Murgaš was born in Jabríková and later became a pioneer of wireless telegraphy. In addition, he is the world leader in the wireless transmission of spoken words. But his most important discovery remains the achievement of the wireless transmission of spoken word to witnesses, thus making history as the inventor of the radio.

This week we need to thank Christian Ottiker, Area Self-Reliance Manger for Central Europe, and Elder Scott and Sister Nancy Waterfall, Welfare and Humanitarian Specialists for Central Europe. We had three projects approved this week and their guidance and support led to this good news.

Project #1: Caretaker Training for Roma Women.

Unemployment, due to continued prejudice and other internal factors, continues to be the primary reason that the Roma population in Slovakia have been unable to break the cycle of poverty and to change how they are perceived. The need is for more formal and monitored training in skills that are needed in their local communities. ETP, an outstanding partner of ours, believes that training needs to result in a 'certification' so the individual has the greatest potential to be employed. They also believe in an application process which enables them to choose the candidates with the greatest potential for success.

Through an application and interview process ETP has selected Roma women to participate in a medical caretaker course registered with Slovakia's Ministry of Labour and Social Affair. The course requires 230 hours of study, including a mandatory internship, and the passing of a final exam. Spišská katolícka charita (Catholic Charities) is the course provider and has an ongoing need for caretakers throughout Slovakia. In addition, community centers in Stara Lubovna and Toporec have agreed to provide their facilities at no cost for the training. ETP has had conversations with these two municipalities who have both expressed a need for women with this type of certification.

Veronika Poklembova, a director of ETP, will partner with us and lead the project.

Project #2: Basement Repair of Children's Home.

Centrum pre Deti a Rodiny Remetské Hámre is a full-time residence children's home and orphanage. Hamre cares for at-risk, disabled, and orphaned children and young adults to the age of 18. Hamre is currently at full capacity and cares for 81 children and 13 children living with professional foster care families.

Hamre's mission is to provide children with both physical and mental development in a healthy and family environment in which the child can feel safe and develop in all aspects of life. The children are taught to be self-reliant and to be able to care for their own basic needs upon leaving the center. The children are provided with educational activities, psychological counseling, healthcare, as well as support of free-time social activities.

The basement in the main children's home requires renovation due to a lack of proper exterior drainage which has caused damage to the interior of the basement. The poor drainage has resulted in mold and damage to the basement floors and walls. The basement is the primary gathering place for the children for extracurricular activities and their social time as well as food storage.

With the exterior drainage issues corrected the interior now needs to be renovated. Further renovation of the basement involves mold removal, repairs to the walls in several rooms, new flooring and tile, and repainting. Stay tuned for the 'after' photos.

Project #3: Self-Reliance and Immediate Food Needs.

Harry Parwani owns and operates four restaurants in Poland. Harry founded Stowarlyslenie Chervona Kalyna Charity (Chervona) as a non-profit soon after the start of the war in Ukraine. Chervona’s food trucks were one of the first food providers at the Poland-Ukraine border when the war began. In the early months of the war they fed 8,000 refugees per day.

Chervona opened a non-profit Ukrainian restaurant in Krakow soon after the war began. The restaurant has two objectives, to employ Ukrainian women refugees as a way for them to support their families and to provide vouchers for free meals for refugees. We have provided meal vouchers in the past and we will provide an additional 500 in this round of funding. Although an ancillary benefit, refugees are able to enjoy the meal in a restaurant that serves Ukrainian food and is being prepared and served by Ukrainians.

We will also be providing funds to further promote the restaurant in order to print promotional and marketing materials to promote their new catering business, to drive more restaurant traffic from local businesses, to create branded takeout containers to take advantage of the growing food delivery industry and to launch targeted social media advertising campaigns. Increased restaurant traffic will allow more refugees to be employed and fed.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, as humanitarian missionaries we do not proselyte as we would never want an organization to feel they have any type of obligation to gain our financial support. All of the funds we allocate are exclusively for those in need who are not members of our church. Members of our church who have financial needs are supported by fast offering donations from other members.

Latter-day Saint Charities' mission states, "We try to follow the example of Jesus Christ in caring for those in need—regardless of location, race, nationality, gender, religious belief, or political affiliation—without expectation of return."

Elder Waisath and Elder Noftle needed a ride to a Roma village for a teaching appointment this week. As they spent time in their appointment I spent time out in the community investigating how we may be able to assist them in their desire to become self-reliant. Kelly and I have both come to love the Romani people.

I am now a proud member of the group crocheting blankets for infants and children. Kelly suggested crocheting as a way to deal with my nervous energy. I am really enjoying making something with my own two hands for a good cause. That being said, you would never mistake my blanket with one of Kelly's. :) I delivered a blanket I had crocheted to a Roma mother of an infant little boy.

The Roma children love young missionaries as you will see by watching the following short video. This will put a smile on your face.

We pray you are well and that you will have a wonderful week.