Now, three years later, Maria has turned her goals and dreams into reality! She is currently getting her high school education, and now works in a bakery in Paris, France.
“I was thinking for a long time about leaving Romania, but I didn’t have the courage to do so. The company I used to work in Romania, as a seamstress, closed, so I had to find a different job. I applied online for the job in Paris and when they called me in I was very happy. I thought that was the time for me to make my own decisions without my parents’ thoughts or other people’s opinion. I knew I could do this, I knew that I could build a better life for myself. Going to Paris was a dream for me and now it is reality,” says Maria. “I didn’t expect to ever have this opportunity, the opportunity to move and work in Paris, but I guess when you least expect it, that is when it happens.”
The time Teo took to support Maria, left a lasting impact and helped encourage her that she can go for what she wants, which in this case, was moving to Paris!
“I knew that Maria wanted to leave Romania but I knew she didn’t have the courage to do so. But hearing that she did leave Romania, that she went to Paris, her favorite city, makes me feel very proud of her,” says Teo. “The most rewarding part for me is to see Maria independent, to see Maria having courage to be on her own.”
We feel so grateful to have been a part of Teo and Maria’s journey and have seen them become so close. We are also so happy to see Maria striving for her dreams and we can’t wait to see where they take her next!