Nicole Triff
Prevention of Abandonment - Social Pedagogue
After working since my early twenties as a social worker with a pedagogue profile in different group homes in Switzerland, I was looking for a new challenge in my professional life that I wanted to combine with my desire to help the people in need. Back in 2011, I started praying about my future and came to Romania to visit different organizations that worked with children and teenagers in poverty and their families. God led my path to the LOC Foundation, where I could see a huge possibility to get involved in the newly started Prevention of Abandonment ministry in Ogra, among approximately . 800 Roma people. In 2012, I moved to Romania and started working together with my colleagues to expand our work. Throughout all these years, we did Bible clubs and summer camps to evangelize and create relationships with the children. Soon I started to work with the teenage girls and mothers in Ogra, as I could see how important it is to work with the whole family and not only the children. Family planning and lots of discussions about education, healthy relationships, and nutrition are still a big part of my actual work. Another huge issue was child abandonment and early abandonment of school. We found kids who were still illiterate after five years of school. We started an „after school"-like program to invest in the children who do need „a little help” to rise and finish school and move on to high school. In our center, we have the space and dedicated people to serve these children. We appreciate Nicole for her dedication and serving heart directed towards vulnerable children and families. What started for Nicole as a mission trip became a life-changing experience. 12 years of serving a vulnerable community in a new country and a new culture is proof of her commitment. Being an advocate for the vulnerable is her best quality, and the moms in the vulnerable community appreciate her greatly for this. Kind to children, highly organized, and determined to do good, Nicole is a good example of faith and a serving heart. We feel great having her among our staff! May God bless you abundantly, Nicole!