The ministry, run by volunteers, is geared to meet the spiritual and physical needs of gypsy people who are often shunned. They are mostly unemployed, living off welfare and making little effort to do better, the Nathers said. In order to reach parents, volunteers work with children, teaching them Bible basics, instilling values and promoting proper hygiene. Battles to be fought range from drug abuse and alcoholism to a lack of interest in education. Children who skip school are often ignored.
Volunteers work with children on everything from arts and crafts to music and tutoring.
They also go out into the villages to talk about proper diet and hygiene. There is a preschool program and a center where older children may study peacefully away from the chaos often encountered at home. Students are taught in a two-room flat acquired from the government in exchange for clearing away the rubbish and clutter that had overtaken the space. The flat is one of 42 in a seven-floor building. A single flat is often home to as many as 14 people.