Building material donated to Roma-RAE families in Konik, Podgorica

It is our joy to share with you about another project that has been realized. This was a kind of a project that we haven't done in Konik (Roma-RAE neighborhood of Podgorica) since the days of the refugee camp "Konik 2", which is when we used to remodel barracks that served as homes for multimembers families. This time though, the face of the project looked somewhat different as we helped several Roma-RAE families get construction material to repair, extend and/or build homes for themselves. 

The project started at the end of May, when we had a group of students, the representatives of the Dutch humanitarian organization MARA Foundation Utrecht visiting us. Although a secular organization, we got in touch with them through our ministry partners from The Netherlands, a ministry that has been supporting Christian work all over Europe - Christian Roma Support (https://christianromasupport.nl/www/en/home-2/). Being an enthusiastic group of young men and women, MARA Foundation has been doing humanitarian projects and activities in various Western Balkan countries, with a goal to visit a different country every year. This was a year when they wanted to come to Montenegro and thankfully, Providence lead them to our partner of many years, who then directed them to us.


After some weeks and a lot of talks on what would be the best way to make a difference in the Roma-RAE community in Podgorica, the team arrived from The Netherlands and we were ready to go. Within a couple of days, we managed to figure out all the necessary details, visit all the families and help the team to see their living situation first hand. The next steps, such as the purchase of the construction materials based on each family’s specific need and their delivery were also done in a couple of days.

We were really happy that we were able to make a difference in the lives of these families. We live in a broken world and it is inevitable that despite all of our good intentions, some things will not work out the way we plan them. And by this, I mean that despite numerous governmental and NGO help programs, there are still numerous families in the Roma-RAE community in Podgorica who live in poverty. These would be families that, for some reason, did not qualify for government assistance and/or have been struck by illness, some personal tragedy, addiction, poor decisions, etc. Being a part of the community, we were able to identify such forsaken families and, as I said earlier, make a lasting difference. 


The good news is that we have started the follow-up part for this project. Thanks to MARA Foundation, we were able to secure some additional funds that will help us pay for the skilled labor (where needed) to make sure that the construction work is done and is done correctly. We are thankful to God for this opportunity to bless those in need in our community and uplift our church’s testimony. Please keep in your prayers the follow up of the project, as we want to make sure that everything gets done well. Let us pray that through these acts of love and service, those who receive them, as well as those who witness them, open up for the work of the Spirit in their hearts and minds.

                                           


                                     

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