Great Britons in Romania: David Savage, Ben Wells and the Nightingales Children’s Project

There are many Brits doing great things in Romania, like David Savage and Ben Wells from the Nightingales Children’s Project, a charity based in Cernavoda, 200kms from Bucharest.

David came to Romania in 1993 to work in a local orphanage, and soon realised that there was a large number of children living in the orphanage without the care, stimulation, education or love that all children need. So he set up the Nightingales Children’s Project, an official UK charity since 1995, with a commitment that “every penny raised will go directly towards caring for the disadvantaged young people and children in Cernavoda and the surrounding region”. David was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for the work and progress Nightingales has made in Romania.

I visited the project just before Christmas, and was shown around by another great Briton, Assistant Director Ben Wells. The projects focus on helping disadvantaged children and young adults get on in life instead of turning to alcohol, crime or prostitution. Two notable ones are:

• Casa Fericirii – “Home of Happiness” which was set up in 1998 to house HIV infected orphans. Many of the orphans (aged between 9 months and 25 years old) could not look after themselves when they moved in but are now thriving after receiving the confidence and education to stand on their own two feet. All residents had sad stories to tell: I met two HIV infected women living there with their very young babies ( 9 and 10 months old). One had contracted it after being put out on the streets by her father to make money. Fortunately the babies are not showing signs of having contracted the infection.
• Human Trafficking Prevention – In 2010 Nightingales, together with the Human Trafficking Foundation set up a new project helping tackle the roots of trafficking in Cernavoda. Together they are sponsoring six young girls (13-16 years old) to stop them falling into prostitution or from being trafficked. The girls receive financial support, counselling and a variety of practical educational courses.

I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of these educational classes – a cooking class – run by Ben Wells’s wife and Nightingale’s Volunteer, Luiza Nicola. The food they cook feeds the residents and members of their close families. After lunch I visited one of the young girls’ houses (a small one bedroom apartment shared by one adult and 5 children aged between 11 months and 13 years). I was struck by how grateful the girl’s family were for the support she receives from David, Ben and the Nightingales team.

Rhys Osborne

British Embassy Bucharest