Nia
News
Nia's Visit to Romania
June 2005
Since starting married life, Nia has been travelling the globe much less, however last year there was an opportunity for both Nia and Neil to visit Romania, to catch up with the work that The Smiles Foundation had been doing. As you can imagine this was no holiday!
During this visit Nia was able to see first hand how money raised by The Smiles Foundation, of which she is a co-founder and trustee, was being used.
The most notable experience of this trip was Nia's visit to a hospital for abandoned babies and children. Images from which were recorded and used to accompany the song I'd Do Anything from Nia's Artist's Heart album. Click on the image to watch this video (9MB).
There were three children who will always stay in Nia's memory. The first was Gabi, "She was so cute, I could have taken her home with me!" The sad thing about Gabi was that at three years old, she knew the routine of life as an abandoned child - people visit, but she knew they'll leave despite her cries. Gabi is seen wearing Neil's sun-glasses in the video. The other two were both babies; the one had just been abandoned in a park that week and the nurses had named him Victor. The other was Samuel, who as you'll see in the video "...must be the most beautiful baby in Romania!"
The Smiles Foundation continues to work in the hospital for abandoned babies and children, employing six child care assistants to support hospital staff in caring for the children. Out of this work, the concept of a children's centre was born. The Smiles Foundation decided to build the Cihei Children's Centre, which would enable abandoned babies to be taken into care, until such time as they can be re-united with their parents or adopted into Christian families. For more information on this project, click on the link.
This visit to Romania enabled Nia to get her hands dirty again! Nia ably assisted with laying of concrete at the Tileagd Nursery and School. These facilities not only provide education, but they also provide health care and food for children who would otherwise be begging on the streets.