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The Rroma-Workers Network (RWN), Romania, is run in partnership with Pioneers of Australia. (See About Pioneers for more information).
The RWN was established by Manda Pidgeon, in November 2014, after much research, prayer and experience of living and working alongside Rroma people and communities in Romania.
Manda writes- “Since I began ministering in Romania in 2008, God has gradually changed my ministry focus, and given me a heartbeat and a vision for the Rroma people of Romania. Often called by the pejorative term ‘Gypsies’, the Rroma people have a deplorable history. Most Rroma have no identification papers, and therefore no nationality or homeland, let alone access to education, employment or healthcare. They are virtually an ‘invisible’ people whose numbers remain difficult to count. With an ongoing distrust between Rroma and the rest of society, these marginalised people struggle to find purpose and belonging in the world around them.
This lack of trust makes it difficult to reach Rroma communities, however, through my study and personal experience, I realised that there are many Christian workers, including foreigners, Romanians and Rroma themselves, who are already bringing the hope of Jesus to these people. Talking with these workers, I heard more and more of their passion and yet their exhaustion, with many burning-out or struggling to know how to effectively reach out to the Rroma communities where God has called them to minister.
God took these pleas for help and planted a vision in my heart to develop the Rroma-Workers Network (RWN) in Romania, in November 2014. Whilst the RWN began as a project of International Teams Australia (1991-2020), it is now run in partnership with Pioneers. The network has since grown to over 150 workers/organisations who live and minister all over Romania.
The RWN seeks to “encourage, equip and empower Rroma-workers to reach Rroma communities with the Gospel”, enabling them to work with each other, share resources, attend conferences, and ultimately become more effective in their ministries."