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Romania Fact Sheet
Romania is a home to a variety of ethnic groups: Romanians 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002)2 The communist development programme implemented between the 1950’s and the 1970’s emphasised urbanisation and industrial modernisation.3 The economic crisis that began in 1970 and worsened in the 1980’s led to a sharp decline in the standard of living and impoverished social groups began to appear.4 In 1994, poverty affected between 22% and 39.3%, rising to 44% by 2000. Extreme poverty also doubled over this period.5 During his 24 years in power, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu sought to spread communism by increasing the communist population of Romania to 30 million by the year 2000.6 In an attempt to achieve his vision, Ceausescu banned abortion and the use of contraceptives and instituted a law which decreed that each family must have at least five children.7 Families who could not support there children gave them up to state care, which led to some 100,000 to 300,000 children living in state run orphanages, in horrific conditions.8 In March, 2003, the U.S. State Department reported a "pattern of trafficking" involving orphans in Moldova.9 The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe estimates that 200,000 individuals are trafficked annually from Eastern Europe, a significant proportion being children.10 |
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Mt Everest Trek 2008
Between 29 September and 18 October 2008, GVN is offering a hike to fundraise for the support of 13 children living in the Brighter Future Children's Home in Nepal. > Read More
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