“What does an orphan do after leaving the orphanage?”

The situation of the children from Romanian orphanages is far dramatic. The British daily Financial Times edits in the edition from 29th of August an article signed by his correspondent from Bucharest, Phelim McAleer. “A friend of mine is teaching English in a orphanage from Bucharest” said Gray-Cheape. “He told me about his pupils and about the fact that they were founding a fresh young group, with team spirit. They were wishful to be tried.” The boys were talking English, because all of the volunteers that came in Romania after the revolution from 1989.
Actually, there are few orphans in Romania. Almost all of them from the orphanages have one or all parents alive; and they knew them. As the governmental statistics from Romania said, only 1% from the children from institutes are really orphans. Many of them are here, in those institutes because their parents are to ill or poor to raise him.
More then 20000 children are staying to a maternal assistant; in orphanages are more, as an official statistic says, on March 2007, from http://www.copii.ro/. In reality the situation is worst.
Dana Johnson from Minnesota University with her friends from there had studied physic evolution of the kids from orphanages. They concluded that the evolution is delayed – the children from here had the level of rising hormones lower then the average. Plus, the scientists observed that the puberty is delayed for girls with 2 years and for boys with one year and a half.
“The establishment of this institute for Child’s Evolution, even if those high representatives of Health Ministry could not be there, this project is a great opportunity for children quest” – said Michael Guest, the ambassador of USA for Bucharest. “The children’s problem is a very important one for a country. Plus, this institute helps for establishing a connection between Romania and USA, regarding child’s protection.”
Those conditions have long term effects and are observed in the health of the one that are now adolescents and young people.
Another building where children are staying is near a special school. Inside, the grindstone shines like a mirror, and on halls the carpets are cleaner then on a Parliament. In bedrooms is a bizarre tidiness. Is like, no one lives there. Actually, 12 souls are staying thee. The manageress talks about European standards. But those 5 ron (=1.5 euro) per day is not enough for rising a baby, and some of them need special food.

“The children received us like usually. We’ve gathered together around the table for an honest share of the goods and we started to tail life stories since 2 and half years ago. Even if they were kids, they had much to say. But in their look still was a lot of sadness!
Nothing can be worse then to know that you are not loved, even if that the man who should do this is somewhere next to you. This is the story of many kids from orphanages. Too few are orphans in the basing meaning of the sense. Many of them are abandoned, and too many had lived to abandon at the age when they knew what’s going on. For them, a little attention or affection means to be kings for a day.
When I left, I took with me more smiles and kisses then I could carry. I was overwrought, but more loved and happy then most of the people from the world. I gave to some sad children three hours from my life, and I left from there richer then when I came, but my richness was with people.

“The house of hope” from Curtici is a chance for orphans. There are few who knew in Curtici is for 5 years that kind of home. The founder is Ioan Cucuiat. The building is on the place where he had his old parental house. “We have here kids that were finding simply on the street. It is very hard to raise your own child; other’s is harder. Bunt we have our soul thanks giving. The best thing for them will be the finding of some parents. Is a pleasure for us to make this job, because God invested in us so we are indebted to invest in the ones that need help, just to thank God that we are not in their shoes.
The state is not helping us at all. We always need money, but we’ve always paid our bills. We collaborate with other foundations and we help each other; they pay our salaries. Anyway, the state is not helping us at all. On holydays we receive a donation sometimes. We have almost all we need to raise our children” –said Ioan Cucuiet. The people from here are its own servant. In the back of the house is a little farm with animals and the products obtained here are used for feeding the children. When you are ready to give, God is blessing you and He gives you back.

A girl has been beaten since she was in her mother’s belly. First she met kicks and biffs, and then air and light. The torture remained her in blood, and if she wasn’t beaten by someone she mutilated her self. That’s why she always was tied in the institution from Focsani. Until 12 years old she lived in ropes. Last year she was transferred to no 8 Institution for Services for Children with Severe Handicap from Buzau. There were invested 6 mld. romanian lei (=180000 euro) from 2001 to 2003, and the little girl had the right treatments that seemed from another world: hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, therapy with music, therapy with light, therapy for moving, talking lessons. Last year, the girl learned to make her own steps.

“Those children are our problem. If the institutional system will not modify his structure, if we do not fight near them, those kinds of cases will always exist.”
As the Social Assistance Manager declared, from the Iasi Orphanages, had left 204 young people, and they aspect from them a ‘very successful’ reintegration. Many of them get to streets, as the official statistics shows.

From about 200 children, just 20 succeeded to integrate in society and to have their own family. Although the assistants of the foundation try to educate them, after they leave the apartments where they are temporary sustained, those people cannot manage their life, because they are not used to live alone, and can’t manage money. They live just for one day, because they do not have a future. Today they live in an apartment and tomorrow on streets.
“One day, we were beaten on the halls. We’ve seen a caretaker coming toward us. She didn’t stopped and she walked away. And then I had a thought: “God, the children from outside have such a good life…” – said Rair. “If a very beaten child was crying to the personnel for justice, they will get the answer:

3rd of February 2006. The Work, Social Solidarity and Family Ministry, has a strategy for the major orphans. For the fulfilling of the project they want to build some residential buildings, especially for those orphans, they needed bill finance from Worldwide Bank. Gheorghe Barbu : “Those building will assure a home for orphans until they can leave from there.” The Work Minister said that in Romania exists the law for combating social limitations, law that helps orphans. “This is not Romania’s problem only. His is a problem for all European countries. But for Romania is a very seriously problem.”

Dr. Harry Chugani from Michigan, Detroit, SUA, Children Hospital, has the conclusion that those children who are staying for a long time in orphanages have a low brain evolution, because of the lack of social interaction. Dr. Chugani had used for his study children from Romania.
Another study made upon abandoned children shows that the life in orphanage inhibits emotional and physic evolution. This study showed that the adoption can cure this problem especially for girls.
In one bedroom we’ve find an insufferable urine smell, although the window is opened. This smell is like glued on walls. Here are living the children with severe handicap. Although the beds do exist, they sleep only on the floor.

-in the year 2005 was the lowest number of adoptions (1136 nationally and 2 internationally);
-developing a scientific study for children with parents working abroad.
-a warning for juvenile delinquencies in schools and orphanages

A shattering report of the few graduates from Halaucesti Orphanage: their testimonials show the terror that they lived in, in that casing-orphanage. Now they are uncap able to live a normal life. They live in the social shelf form “Podul de Fier” City Hall, or on streets. Their drama shows the real children’s preparations for leaving the orphanage: only 10% from each leaving achieve to do something with their life.

It is hard to realize form all 14 pupils which are boys and which are girls, because of the same physiognomy and the same hair cut. The children are all coming around the principal from DGASPC, sitting seriatim for a hug. From time to time, some kid caches you in a hug, like he would know you for all his life.
An 11 years old boy comes near me. He is dressed in penurious cloths. His plastic sneakers were pared in the bottom and just a poor sail keeps his foot fingers inside the sneakers. The children’s clothes are purchased by public auction, and is given by ‘share’, with a total value of almost 240 RON (=75 euro).
Friday, 30th of March 2007. A number of 7000 of young children with ages of 18 years old should leave in this year the orphanages. They can remain in state’s care only if they are learning in a public school/college. Some of the young majors may have the luck to receive a home in the social apartments, but insufficient for all 7000 orphans who left the orphanages.
There is no legislation for all those kids. This is the problem. The national authority is not sufficiently contributing for the necessary one. They give money only for food and services.
The National Authority for Child’s Protection has no strategy for protecting those children. “The young kids from this centre and his personnel should understand the fact that those young need to learn to take their life in their own hands” – said Bogdan Panait, the president of ANPDC.