On the second day of the war, diehard staff and volunteers from Star of Hope Romania went to the Ukrainian border.
With your support, we have helped over 12,000 Ukrainian refugees since then.
"The goal is for them to live a near normal life here," says our Romanian operations manager Aura Vatamaniuc.

Star of Hope Romania's efforts for refugee families started at the border crossings outside Siret and Husi, where we early on put extra focus on refugees with disabilities.
"It came naturally because it is a target group that we have worked with for over 30 years", says Aura Vatamaniuc.

Today, three work teams work in three shifts to meet their needs. At the first meeting, we offer the fleeing families water, food, medicine, hygiene items, and emotional support. In addition, various activities are arranged for the children, which help them disconnect their war experiences for a while and just be children again. Many families have received a roof over their heads at our rehabilitation centers in Iasi and Dorohoi.

Our efforts have been noticed by Unicef, which after study visits to centers and border crossings chose to start a collaboration with Star of Hope Romania. Thanks to that, we can now take on a new group of refugees. We provide them with accommodation, food, clothing, health care, education, leisure activities, and counselling. On the education front, priority is given to courses in Romanian and English, among other things.

A total of 4,330 Ukrainian children are covered by this initiative.
"We are happy to collaborate with Star of Hope," says Gabriel Vockel, deputy for Unicef ​​in Romania.

The children with disabilities have access to rehabilitation at the Star of Hope center in Romania. There, we work with, among other things, physiotherapy, speech pedagogy and cognitive behavioral therapy.
"This mainly concerns children with Down's syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy," says Aura.

Aura's heart beats a little extra for all the single mothers she has met. Those not single six months ago were forced to say goodbye to their children's fathers in Ukraine. Those who are now forced to rebuild their lives, on their own, without a stable foundation to stand on.

"We have helped some of them regain financial security," says Aura. At each center and border crossing, there is now at least one refugee that we have employed. In this way, these mothers get the chance to help their compatriots and earn their own way.

Aura is proud of all the good that has been done, but also points out that the work must continue. For a family on the run, Star of Hope's help can make all the difference in the world.

Give a gift to the continued work in Romania >>>

 text Torbjörn Vårsaga Sep, 2022 

A school start is something special.
The pandemic has made this day extra special because many children have been waiting for a new school start for two years. You can help us welcome them back! day of anticipation, butterflies in the stomach, and that feeling of starting a journey.

Imagine you are a seven-year-old in Haiti…
You never went to school, but you watched, a bit jealous, how your siblings leave home in the mornings. You have admired their school uniforms, seen the schoolbooks they brought home, heard the songs they practiced, and listened to every word they shared about the school day.

As you passed the school with your mother, the smells from the school kitchen reached you and made your mouth water. Your parents didn't have enough food that day, but your older siblings got to eat their fill during the school lunch. And now, finally, it's your turn. This is your day.

What adventures await you at the "Star of Hope" school?

Imagine that you are nine years old and live in Jimba in Kenya...
You didn't even have time to start first grade before the authorities ordered all schools to be closed.

Thankfully, your teachers found a solution: "If the children can't come to us, then we can come to the children!"
With face masks, schoolbooks, blackboards, and chalkboards, they set out in villages and slums. There they managed to arrange outdoor lessons with tree canopies as shade and tree trunks as anchor points for their chalkboards. Thanks to their ingenuity, you have been able to learn things even during the pandemic. Now you are ready for grade three - and you will finally get to sit in a real classroom! Finally, you can eat breakfast and lunch in the school kitchen and play with your friends during breaks.

Finally, the wait is over!

Imagine that you are eleven years old and live in Taytay in the Philippines. It's time to start fifth grade…
You love school, but you've been forced to study half of your elementary school years remotely. Those years have been tough - because there is no internet at home. Instead, your parents have had to collect educational materials from the school together with questionnaires. It is your form answers that your teachers have graded for two years. Your parents have tried to help you as best they can, but it was rather you who had to teach them. Unlike you, they never got a chance to graduate.

Every day for two years you have wanted and waited to return to Star of Hope’s school - and today the wait is over.
You will finally get to see your friends again and get all the tutoring help you need!

The school children in Haiti, Kenya, the Philippines, and other countries do not just share a longing to go back to school. They also share the feeling that every school day is a precious gift that cannot be taken for granted, giving them a chance to have a better life than their parents. That thought ignites their hope!

Join us and make the children's first day of school unforgettable!  The link takes you to our webshop for school supplies.

by Dennis Thern

Aug 2022

This year marks fifty years since the Star of Hope began working in Argentina. The long-term work consists of helping vulnerable children and families within the Toba people to a better life.

This is done through several different efforts, including, providing study support to young people studying at upper secondary school and higher education, feeding programs, social programs, and sharing the Gospel and it has all yielded results.

The number of highly educated people from the Toba people is increasing. Nowadays, we meet doctors, architects, teachers, police officers, nurses, dentists, and others who managed to reach where they are today thanks to Star of Hope. Close follow-up with all students takes place every month. This academic year, 200 young people receive special educational support.

Two of those receiving support are the brothers' Daniel and Epifanio Acevedo. Both are currently studying in the fourth year of high school. Daniel, 17, is studying science, and his brother Epifanio, 16, is studying computer science.

Both want to study further after high school and both aim to apply to the "Argentine National Gendarmerie", which is a special border and security police force in Argentina. It is stable to work in the Gendarmerie as it is called, and there are opportunities to study further and make a career.

Epifanio says, “I am applying to the Gendarmerie, working on and hoping to train as a lawyer in the future. There are many opportunities to develop within the Gendamerie.”

Things are going well for both Daniel and Epifanio and they will surely succeed in their goals. The boys live together with their parents. Father Daniel finds it difficult to find stable work but gets by as a day laborer from time to time. He hopes to find something stable soon. Mother Paola is a teacher and works part-time at a local school.

The whole family is grateful for all the support they have received and are receiving. Big brother Daniel says: "Thanks to everyone who supports the work here in Argentina. It means a lot to me, my family, and everyone else! Thanks!”

Dear Sponsors,

Ukrainian kids get a break from the war! ( video will display now - sorry!)

Star of Hope together with our partners organized a one-day summer camp for the kids in the city of Kharkiv (Charkiv) Ukraine.

They received Christian children's books and bread to take home with them. This film shows the other fun they had if only perhaps temporary.

Thank you, donors!

Donate? to the work?

www.starofhope.us/give

Shop through this link and we will help hungry children in 16 countries. EZ right! 

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/59-2844916

All the 30 children who participate in the activities within the Dimacheni support center in Romania have successfully completed this school year, which we are very happy about.

To mark this happy event an award ceremony was held for children with diplomas, prizes, and sweet surprises.

The children prepared an artistic moment where they performed songs and poems with parents who were very proud of the success and progress of their children.

Of the 30 children from the Dimacheni Center, two girls, Daniliuc Denisa and Huinu Veronica graduated from the 8th grade. They want to continue their studies, they will be admitted to high school and vocational schools where they can obtain a qualification for a job that assures them a future as beautiful as possible for them.

All the children from the Dimacheni project graduated from school. If at the beginning of the project more than half were dropping out of school, now we are enjoying all their success.

We are happy and grateful for the success of the children. Thank you for your help!