The Village View

Olanesti

Yesterday, I completed my second interview with a fantastic NGO called Generatia Pro that meets the needs of at-risk children and the elderly by providing short term housing, day programs, and family interventions to prevent abandonment.  I was in awe of the energy and the hard work that these committed people put into solving the social neglect that has resulted from poverty and the Soviet legacy.  

Olanesti is in the far South of Moldova--a 2 hour drive from Chisinau.  My friend, Victor Luca, translated for me and arranged transportation with his brother-in-law, Andreii--who brought his son, Alecsandru, along.  The on the way back we stopped in his home village of Tanatari for lunch.

Tanatari

This was my second trip to Tanatari as Vicu had hosted Lee and I for Easter in 2006 and I adore his parents.  Mama Tamara (Vicu's mother) put out quite a spread! 

The boys did a mock toast with homemade Moldovan wine while we discussed how much they looked like each other.  Andy has some Polish heritage and it turns out so does Mama Tamara--so who knows? 

 

After lunch, we fed the chickens.  Andy asked Vicu what their names were and Vicu explained that they do not name the chickens since they plan to eat them.  Andy seemed to be OK with that and later we joked that their names were breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Though we did not wait around to watch Mama Tamara use her surgical precision with the chickens (she is the village physician).

But undoubtedly the highlight of the trip for Andy was getting to see the family shotgun.  Vicu's Dad even fired it for us.  Other events of the trip included using the outhouse, seeing a cow, and being presented with a large bottle of homemade wine--not for Andy, mind you!