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Romania Resource Pack

Romania is a beautiful country nestled between the Danube River and the Black sea at the edge of Eastern Europe and is home to a highly diverse population who together are well-known for their kind hearts and indomitable spirit. The problem of Romanian orphanages began with the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaucescu in 1965. His goal was to spread communism by increasing Romania's population. Extreme measures were taken and every woman was required by law to have at least 5 children. Parents were simply unable to afford to feed and care for all their children. Many had no choice but to give their babies over to the state. Encouraged by monetary rewards, babies were given up and put into state-run orphanages. The result was children growing up without any mental stimulation or physical activity, without any loving human touch, and often without sufficient food, clothing, or health care. The effects are everlasting. In 1991 Romania became a free country but the number of children in orphanages continues to increase, and today the number sits at 125,000.

Adoption in Romania is a very lengthy, expensive, and difficult process which hampers children currently in orphanages from being taken in by outside families. The government has not yet prioritized finding or funding an alternate way of caring for children, such as the foster care systems of other countries, so there is nothing to replace the orphanage system. Despite this there is hope with many organizations like our partner working to give each child a chance.

Volunteers join a Christian Mission which cares for disabled orphans. There are four group homes, and volunteers will work with orphans aged from ten year old children to young adults. The children have suffered so much at a young age, but with the help of volunteers they will see a brighter future. Sandie Tanner a founder of the mission explains the importance of volunteers, "Well I could not hire the same kind of help because the people here do not understand even yet the concept of "fun" with the handicapped, we simply would not work again without volunteers. To keep the mission lively, fun for the residents and for the residents to not become stagnant but always in the mode for learning something new."

"But what has impacted me the most has been the host of remarkable people I've met in this country. Men and women who've responded to great need with great acts of commitment and sacrifice. These people are a very diverse group - at face value, they have little in common. In fact, most of their similarities are in things they don't do. None count the cost. None, as far as I know, have sweeping visions of bringing change to entire nations or communities. None have political aspirations to effect change through social policy (such people are surely needed, but they are not them). Rather, they are satisfied to make a difference to the lives of a small handful of people who otherwise have no-one to advocate for them. They seek no credit or recognition for what they do, indeed, they refuse to see what they are doing as particularly special or unusual. Where I would be daunted by the magnitude of the problem, and struggle to see how I could make any difference, they refuse to think in terms of numbers or statistics - to them, just one baby, child or adult is worth moving mountains for. I can only offer my heartiest encouragement. Volunteers enable many organisations to go beyond providing basic human needs like food and shelter, to sharing life, colour and joy. You have a combination of skills and personality traits that no one else can offer. Go on, look into it. After all, you only have one life to live." - James White.

Easy Facts

For the Romania Easy Fact Sheet, click here.

Articles

Getting Attached To Romania: http://www.volunteer.org.nz/media/articles/romania.php.

Further Reading

What Happened to Romania's Orphans, Kate McGeown, BBC News, July 8th, 2005: It is now more than 15 years since the world found out about the thousands of children locked away in Romania's state institutions. In the first of a series of articles, Kate McGeown - who volunteered in one such institution nine years ago - finds out what happened to them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4629589.stm

Romanian Adoptees Struggle to Adapt, Kate McGeown, BBC News, July 13th, 2005: In the third of a series of articles on Romanian orphans, Kate McGeown finds out what happened to the lucky few who were adopted abroad.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4649383.stm

Life in Ceausescu's Institutions, Kate McGeown, BBC News, July 12th, 2005: It is now more than 15 years since the world found out about the thousands of children locked away in Romania's state institutions. In the second of a series on these children, former volunteer Kate McGeown looks at the dreadful conditions they faced..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4630855.stm

Country Profile

For Romania's country profile, click here.

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