Visiting the “SfantaMacrina” Center, July 2015

By “SfantaMacrina” Center representatives of Barka: Larisa Melinceanu and Barbara Sadowska were welcomed by the priest Gabriel Cazacu, a young priest who succeeded to show a bright, warm side of Romanian Orthodox Church which in the last period is being confronted with a diminishing trust among the parishioners in Romania. The priest presented the center he is running, a non –governmental organization which from 1996 is supporting children and young adults to reintegrate in the society through a daycare center (more than 100 children a day are getting lunch and are being helped in lessons), a residential care center which depending on age can be a foster care center (around 25 children) or a protecting house (for young people above 18 who are being motivated and sustained to continue their studies). Surprisingly, one of the center’s staff member recognized Barbara Sadowska whom she met a few years ago at a conference in Poland and who was now impressed by the important developments Barka Foundation went through over the years. Priest Gabriel also embraced happily the model of self-sustaining communities Barbara was describing. “SfantaMacrina” Center is one of the partners of the project “Inclusive Europe – regional sustainable initiatives “.