Nightingales Children's Project
Nightingales was set up in 1992, by David Savage MBE, to help disadvantaged children and young people in Romania.
A sad fact about Romania is that many young children from poor backgrounds can find themselves at risk of being prey to human traffickers or pimps, who will take advantage of them. Some of these young people have disabilities, already making them easy prey for criminals. Furthermore, cultural attitudes in Romania towards people with disabilities are pretty poor, meaning life can be very difficult for them with few prospects of being able to lead a safe, fulfilling, and independent life.
Nightingales perform a wide range of initiatives, from running community cafés that offer employment for services users and a place to hang out for locals, to supporting folk who have left the centre when they have moved in to assisted living in the community, and even helping to run cottage industries selling candles, soaps, and clothing that are made by residents. These initiatives give purpose, independence, and a sense of meaning to the lives of the people at the centre.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine this February, Nightingales has been working in partnership with a local church to house and look after 23 Ukrainian refugees.
Learn more about the work and projects from Nightingales on their website.
