Chaplain takes up plight of Romanian sewer children
08 Aug 2007
A Neath minister is making it his personal mission to improve the lives of orphaned children forced to live in sewers in Romania.
The Rev Peter Lolley, Works Chaplain at Corus Port Talbot and founder of the Neath Pastorate Romania Project, has given his own money and time to raise funds and collect gifts for around 300 children thrown out of state orphanages when the Communist regime fell in 1989.
Having already helped three UK churches where he previously worked collect almost £1,500 for the children - roughly the equivalent of five Romanian men’s wages for a year – this autumn, Rev Lolley is personally funding another trip to Romania to take out further gifts and aid for projects supported by the churches and Corus.
The story began in November 2004, when Rev Lolley went to the town of Braszov in Romania on a six-day visit organised through the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Codlea, central Romania.
Pastor Eugen Jugaru from Codlea, a personal friend of Mr Lolley’s, arranged a preaching tour of the four churches in the Pastorate, and a visit to Braszov to see the work being done for the children forced to live in the sewer system in the town because they had nowhere else to go after the orphanages closed.
“I was taken to the area of central Braszov where the children can be found, often begging. I was shocked at what I saw, and some of those images will be imprinted on my mind forever,” said Mr Lolley.
For almost a decade, the Emmanuel Church has been running a registered charity - with church leaders as trustees - to provide, food, clothing, education and healthcare for the children.
“Many of the people involved in the work of the Trust are from a very poor area of the country anyway, and as part of their Christian faith, they give sacrificially for the work to be active and vibrant,” Mr Lolley added.
The £1,500 cash gifts from churches - in the Neath Pastorate of The Presbyterian Church of Wales, as well as the Midlands, Cumbria and Kent, where Mr Lolley was formerly based - has helped secure the work of the Trust for a good period of time.
Some of the money paid for hot food, milk to drink - a great favourite of the children - toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and shampoo for about 60 of the children
The minister also saw work in the village of Vulcan, where church members feed 150 children per day in three sittings of 50, seven days per week and 365 days per year.
“These children are mainly gypsy (Romany) children who live in the mountain areas nearby, and are desperately poor,” he said. “The church folk who do this are poor themselves, but again give sacrificially as part of their Christian faith, and the ladies of the church work on a rota basis to cook and clean every day.”
The UK churches are currently collecting money to be taken on his next trip in November. The target is in excess of £1,000 and Mr Lolley will again be taking small toiletries such as soap, toothpaste and shampoo, which are being collected by church members.
Corus has donated £500 towards the fund, and Mr Lolley is also hoping to find support from the staff and trade unions at Corus Port Talbot.
Picture: Corus community spokesman Keith Farron, second left, presents a cheque to the Rev Peter Lolley, surrounded by members of the congregation at Y Capel Skewen.
