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CRY UK
From the late 1980s, Pastor Martyn Dunsford from Southampton,
England, was visiting Romania on a regular basis as part of his ministry into
Eastern Europe and countries of the Former Soviet Union. Shortly after the bloody Peoples'
Revolution in Romania which brought down the evil dictatorship of Nicolae
Ceausescu in December 1989, Martyn visited a few of the state orphanages that
appeared on TV screens around the world soon after the media were allowed in.
An estimated 150,000 babies (mostly abandoned), children
and teenagers (all written off as 'incurables') were
being kept like prisoners in large state orphanages, living in appalling,
squalid and disgusting
conditions - most chained to cots, with unchanged clothes covered in their
own urine and excrement, rocking backwards and forwards like animals in cages.
Many of these were also physically disabled, as well as mentally and emotionally
very disturbed.
As Martyn prayed to God (in desperation and compassion)
asking God what he could do to help these helpless children he felt he heard God say...
"...you can at least CRY for these little ones" - and
CRY we did!
Martyn gathered together Christian business people
(including CRY USA's David Farndale) and other Christians working at a senior
level in the caring professions, and immediately got involved in various acts of
aid and support to Romania, including placing workers directly into children's
homes.
Soon after, Care and Relief for the Young (CRY UK) was
formed as a registered charity in England, and CRY Romania as a registered
Romanian foundation resulting in the opening of Casa Robin Hood children's home
in the capital Bucharest. Since those early days, CRY's work has hugely expanded
over the years with the charity currently (04/10) supporting some 32 partnership
programs in 17 countries.
CRY's Christian commitment has never been compromised. All of our key employees
and overseas program partners are committed practicing Christians, dedicated to
helping children worldwide. We are working almost exclusively through local
churches and a few Christian non-profit organizations. |
