Why Moldova?

Link Romania has had contact with projects in Moldova for many years.  As the charity expands we have sought to reach out to our neighbours and offer help and support.  Two organisations in particular benefit  - Chris & Helen Ducker in Dancu and Ruvim and Pasa Strujenco in Cosnita.  They are Christian couples who have dedicated their lives to helping the poor and marginalised through education and social care projects.  Many people in their 20's, 30's and 40's have gone to work in Russia and there is now a very serious economic problems with only the elderly and children left behind.

Background

Moldova is a former Soviet State which gained independence in 1991. But the price of national freedom has been economic collapse and massive social problems. Since independence Moldova’s economy has shrunk by 3.5% each year.

Two-thirds of Moldovans live off less than $4 a day. Many of the Moldovans in Dancu live below the international poverty line of $1.25/day.

Dancu itself lacks basic amenities with no piped water, sewerage, gas or street lighting. Unemployment is above 60% and life expectancy is falling. The population of Dancu is 1,800 and there are 2,500 people in neighbouring Cioara.

Because work opportunities and prospects are so low in Moldova many of those of working age have left to seek opportunities abroad. In Dancu the Mayor’s office reports that 35% of children are living without one or both parents. Often they are left for years with chronically ill or alcoholic and sometimes abusive relatives or neighbours. Some households are headed by the oldest sibling who may themselves be only 15 or 16.

Families are generally large (4-6 children) but houses are poor quality and very cold in the winter: some houses have only plastic sheets covering the windows and all are heated by wood fires. In the winter temperatures can reach as low as -30°C. Very few houses have an indoor bathroom or toilet and kitchens generally double as bedrooms. Sharing beds is common.

There was no net economic growth in Moldova between 1980 and 2005, and many families are worse off. Because the country has been in economic decline for a generation, there is widespread disillusion and hopelessness, and suicide rates are high.