Georgiana (born 29.04.01)

Georgiana came to Harja when she was two.  She came straight from the orphanage where her mother had left her;  her mother had visited her occasionally but, having exhausted the hospitality of various relations, had no home.   She is a contented, easy going girl, composed, but with strong opinions and poise.  The strong friendship between her and Diana is great to see and they complement each other;  Georgiana being more relaxed and easy-going. She and Diana have always shared a bedroom and are very good friends (she calls her ‘Sis’).

 

 

Ali (born 24.04.2001)

Ali came to Harja from an orphanage when he was 5 months old.  He is an intelligent boy, and like all the children in his family, enjoys helping in the kitchen and bringing in the wood.   He is sensitive and has a great sense of humour;  he likes telling Vlad what to do – but that’s fine because Vlad goes equably on his own way.

Casa Brancusi, where he lives with Marcel, Georgiana, Diana and Vlad, is a happy and lively;  there is always laughter, enthusiasm, argument, And homework is achieved though sometimes the carers have to do some probing when they are told “there is no homework today”……

His English is very good and he is a great reader;  he has just finished all the Harry Potter books, though not in English.

Diana (born 3.07.2001)

Diana, Lidia’s sister, came to Harja when she was eight months old, following the sudden death of their mother.   She is highly strung, lively, intelligent;  she writes stories and poems and sometimes keeps a diary.  She loves clothes, especially pink ones, and spends some time in front of the mirror brushing her hair, trying new styles.  She dances with wonderful rhythm, has a lovely singing voice, and a great talent for acting and for the improvisation of comical rhyme. Betty is looking for a place for her to be taught drama.

 

Marcel (born l4.11.1999)

Marcel was just a year old when his parents left him in hospital with measles.   They did not return, so when he was 2 he came to Harja – with many fears, the worst being of water, but the ducks in his bath distracted and reassured him.

Although he is not academic his teachers like him, probably for the wicked gleam in his eyes.  He is humorous, enjoys competitive games like racing demon, likes cooking and would like to be a chef and he’s good at playing with the little ones.   Luci, from whom he seeks advice, is a valuable much older brother to him.

He suggested to the others in his family that they should give presents to Betty and their carers on 1st March, a spring celebration day in Romania:  they bought flowers and chocolates and wrote loving messages.

 

Vlad (born 20.02.2007)

Vlad has been at Harja since he was two.Sometime before that he had had measles; his mother took him to hospital, left a false name and address, and abandoned him. Betty found him in isolation, tied to his cot, and at once brought him to join Marcel, Ali, Diana and Georgiana in Casa Brancusi. All of them are six or seven years older than he is but he was soon absorbed into the family and learnt to play by himself imaginatively and happily.

Usually he is fine at school but he can be firm about what he will and will not do – then, a reassuring visit from Betty to the school seems to give him security and cooperation returns! At home, he and Denisa play together a lot, particularly when winter is over and they can be outside; Casa Dinu, where Denisa lives, is a ten-minute walk away.