February 1, 2012
Moldova
Chisinau, Moldova. Fifteen years ago, Lena had to leave her job working as a nurse in the Moldovan hospital department. Almost immediately, she started to work as a volunteer within a home care project, a project created by Caritas Czech Republic from 2007 to 2010 which was financially supported by the Czech Development Agency.
Every week, Lena visits dozens of old, sick people. She brings them medicine and bandages their wounds. She picks up various official documents for them. She deals with their rent payments. She brings them home-cooked meals. She sits and talks with them and patiently listens to their concerns. Her patients believe in God as she does, because she belongs to the Baptist Church. Nobody can be surprised when the conversations are about confidence in the ubiquity and strong love of God. Visits usually end with a common prayer.
One of Lena’s patients is Mrs. Olja. On the way to her place, Lena tells a story about the seventy year old woman who in her youth had fallen from a tree and suffered a severe brain hemorrhage. She is mentally disturbed and speaks badly. A few years ago, she suffered a stroke, causing her to now see and hear badly too. The entrance into Olja’s one-room apartment without a bathroom or a furnished kitchen resembes entrances into cellars rather than human dwellings. The double doors are not also proof of ideal housing.
Olja lies on bed and listens to the radio, which drowns out everything inside and outside. The room is very modestly furnished. Behind the bed head, there is a large wooden cabinet. There is a second bed or couch in front of the opposite wall. Next to it, there is a cabinet with a covered phone and boxes and on the other side, another cabinet with a covered television and radio. Olja sits down slowly, while Lena turns off the roaring radio. Lena takes out bread and a glass with lunch cooked for Olja from her bag. After the initial embarrassment of having visitors, Olja’s face brightens in smile. Although she sometimes says words unintelligibly, Lena listens and understands her. Olja energetically and cheerfully tells her stories that begin and end smoothly. She tells stories from her past that she is just remembering in the moment.
Olja describes a kolkhoz, where she worked with Ukrainians and Russians, and where she learned how to speak good Russian. She remembers two representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses, who she refused to listen to because she knows God very well and does not need anyone to teach her about him. She talks about two sisters who seem to behave not very sisterly, as Lena added later, they do not come to see Olja very often. In addition, they reproach her that she had written some papers stating that her apartment will belong to a stranger outside of the family. The reproaches would be understandable, if Olja intended to punish or upset her sisters. Unfortunately, she is a victim of her gullibility and trusting a loved one. A neighbor from a house where Olja lives promised to take care of her if she signs the papers, meaning that the neighbor would inherit Olja’s apartment after she dies. Olja signed the contract in good faith. Mrs. "Good-giver" had really takencare of Olja a couple of days. After a while she has stopped. Olja lives in an apartment that no one from her family will inherit and is dependent on a help of a stranger, Lena.
But Lena, fortunately, is no longer such a stranger. After singing a few praying songs and saying some prayers, goodbye comes followed by hugs and kisses. Olja says words that undoubtedly pleased Lena: "She is such a sister of mine." Lena is an aunt for all other patients. To have a title of “sister” usually means a deeper degree of relationship filled with respect, trust and definitely with love. Olja and Lena really have this kind of close relationship. By the door, to which Olja hardly staggers, she happily waves goodbye. She closes the door and -probably with difficulty – lies down on the bed to give rest her aching legs.
And Lena? She goes to two other houses, where her female patients wait for her. They also have their grim and joyous life stories. They have one thing in common with Olja. They welcome and say goodbye to Lena with a smile on their lips. When the dark falls, Lena returns home to her husband and sons, who fully respect her volunteer work and support her. Even Lena's life story has some painful scars, but working for others and her strong belief in God can apparently heal all wounds.
Other professional nurses and caregivers work in the home care in Moldova like Lena. They care for the elderly and sick people in day centers or in their homes. Caritas Czech Republic, with funds provided by the Czech Development Agency, supports numerous activities of day centers in Chisinau. In the past, the Association of Home Care established and has further developed the operation of centers in Cahul Dorotska which are currently dependent on the Czech aid.
