"Once with children’s placement into the family, the world appears more beautiful every day".
We found Aga spouses and their two foster children engaged into a "sweet activity" in the family’s kitchen that was spreading around sweet fragrance of plum jam.
The children, quite shy when seeing us, clang on their "granny" who kept encouraging them to move forward and invite us in.
The house owner, Mrs. Nina, explained to us that it was loneliness that determined her to take the children into her family. Aga spouses have a son, but he grew up and went on to study. The need of ensuring a decent living for the family made the husband decide on a job proposal that kept him away from home for long time.
"My husband was always away, working, and staying home alone, I often cried. Especially after I talked to someone on the phone and realized how lonely I was", said Mrs. Aga.
The lady said that loneliness made her more sensitive to other persons’ suffering. This is how she came into the idea of taking someone into care, someone who needed help and affection. Mrs. Aga found about the Foster Care Service from the community social assistant – whose name is also Mrs. Nina.
"Mrs. Nina told me a lot about this opportunity, but I felt in a way reticent, I was not sure. In the end, it’s not so easy to take a child. This is such a big responsibility! Most frightening was my age. But now, thank God, I am doing well and I like this mission (…) I tried several times to suggest (to her son and spouse, editor’s note) the idea of taking children into care, but I always encountered my son’s egoism. At that time, when he was 19-20, he felt that everything belonged to him."
The one who was truly able to convince the boy was his father, who helped him understand the mother’s feelings, emotions, and expectations.
Mrs. Nina, obviously excited, says that her child’s verdict sounded to her like a blessing: "Mom, do what you believe you should do".
The first child placed into Aga family was a girl of the village of Siponeni. She stayed with them one year and three months, till she was taken into another family’s custody.
The family now has other two children in placement. They are brother and sister, and they come from a family with very special circumstances.
"The children who are currently placed with our family have a special story. I was alone, and I had a feeling that something was missing, but once children came, our Easter table became full with everything, just because they were with us. We accepted them with our arms spread. They came on the Wednesday before Easter, like a gift for us!"
Asked if she intends to accept other children in the future, Mrs. Nina says with absolute determination: "Yes!" On the other hand she admits that she would these children to stay longer in her family.
"I got used to them, as if they were my own children. I can’t imagine my house without them".
Children recognized them as parents shortly after they came into their house.
"We went shopping for Easter, and because we, women, need more time to decide, Anisoara and me stayed back a little. But Sergiu insisted – I’m going to daddy! Then one day, immediately after Easter I was busy in the yard, and heard suddenly “Mummy, Mummy! – I thought I was dreaming, that it was not happening to us!"
The biological son, although more often a guest in their house, accepted the situation and even feels well in his family that has become more extended now.
The foster parent says that once with children’s placement into the family, the world appears better and better to her. She says these are the children who can teach an adult to discover true values, because they do not have prejudices. Thus, Mrs. Nina didn’t see any obstacle in offering placement to children whose skin is a bit darker…
"I even call them lovingly – mummy’s little gypsies!"
Our neighbors were very surprised of our choice in the beginning, but later, as they came to know children better, they were conquered by them. They all know that since children came into this family, "mother" was never seen alone, whether working around the house, or going shopping, or even when the family is invited to visit other relatives.
In their turn, the relatives say that the family left aside lots of household works that needed to be done before the rains came, for the sake of the children. They even sacrificed their own time they needed to prepare for a wedding in their family, only to make sure that the children have all they needed, because "children go first".
Aga spouses’ message for those who still doubt about assuming the mission of a foster carer was very simple, but sincere and convincing:
"First of all, this is big joy for the person who makes this step. Making some children happy, making them feel they have a mother, a father, a roof above their head. We encourage all those who think they have a possibility, to come and support some children who have nobody, take a child, two, three – as many as they can – and offer them parental affection, help them become people. Unfortunately, our society is considerably degrading, and it needs values. We teach children to become respectful and grow up with God in their souls. Ask them, what they do first of all, after they have a meal. They make a cross and thank. And we do not need a bigger reward than this – to know that we also contributed to what they have become now".
Our visit ended with a true fashion show offered by the two children, who exhibited proudly and very elegantly the clothes and footwear they were allowed to choose themselves when they went shopping with their foster parents.