The Word Made Flesh Advocacy Publication- The Cry

The Situation in Romania 2010

6 April 2010 , David Chronic

The Government and Corruption

Christmas 1989 marked the history of Romania with the so-called
“revolution” – a benchmark by which transition and development in the
country are measured. Twenty years on, Romania is a member of the
European Union. The country recently completed presidential elections.
They were somewhat reminiscent of the U.S. elections of 2000 in that one
candidate (Geoana) was declared victorious only to have the other candidate (Basescu) win by
0.66% after all the votes were counted – many of which came from Romanians working abroad.
Back for another five years as head of the state, Basescu is reducing the number of public servants
(deputies) by 10%, which will reduce government spending and bureaucracy. A greater challenge is
parliament. In November the government collapsed, causing concern for investors and halting the
planned loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). While other EU countries like Greece,
Spain, Portugal an Ireland are looking to Germany and France to help their indebted governments,
Romania has appealed to the US-based IMF for a loan of 20 billion Euros.
Another challenge for the government is ongoing corruption. Although the anti-corruption
department is attempting for national systemic change, the Romanian parliament has blocked high-
level investigations, and the capacity of the Romanian judicial system remains weak. Transparency
International ranks Romania at 71 (compare with the U.S. at 19), the highest in the EU.
Although many promises are made to the poor to court their vote during election year, many of our
friends feel marginalized by the political process. Practically, they are helped when the government
creates and invests in better social services, when employment opportunities are accessible, when
judicial systems don’t take advantage of those who can’t afford to defend themselves, and when
bribery no longer blocks the doors for those who can’t afford them in areas like medical treatment
and government signatures. But campaign promises are quickly forgotten. Many of our friends are
at risk of losing their social housing. Few of our friends understand public institutions like medical
clinics, police departments and courthouses.

The Economy
President Clinton’s Ambassador to Romania, Mr. Rosapepe, praises Romania
as “the miracle of the Balkans” for integrating into the global economic,
political and military systems. While Romania’s economy is hit as a result of
this integration, Rosapepe says optimistically that at least it’s a ‘crisis of
capitalism and not a crisis of communism.”
With foreign banks taking over the financial system and rising incomes driving expectations,
Romania had its own real-estate bubble. When 70% of Romania’s exports go to the EU, a recession
in Germany means a recession in Romania. However, it is not simply that Romania’s banks are tied
to western Europe, they are owned by western Europe. When western banks need cash to cover bad
debt, they pull money out of their Romanian holdings causing the Romanian currency to fall and
drying up of money available to loan. This mall was supposed to open in 2008 but has been worked
on little in all of 2009 and is still far from completion. (The conflicting “opening dates” on their
website only make it more comical.)
Also, the boom in foreign investment (which dropped by 43% in the first half of 2009) drove up the
value of Romanian currency. As many Romanians borrowed in Euros, the fall of the currency meant
that many of our friends who have lost homes, cars and hopes for building a more stable future.
At the beginning of 2009, economists were still predicting growth of at least 3%. Not only did that
not happen, but the economy shrank by almost 7%. The hopeful prediction for 2010 is for 0.5%
growth. In December 2008, unemployment was at 4.4%; now it’s at 7.8%. In Galati it is much
higher. 1,325 people lost their jobs in December 2009, bringing the rate to 11.1%. Keep in mind that
almost all of our friends that have jobs work on the black market. It is estimated that between 1.4
and 1.5 million Romanians work on the black market, which is attractive to employers because they
do not have to pay taxes. These workers receive substantially less than minimum wage (41%
receive less than half of minimum wage). But the worker “pays” in more ways than just cheap
employment. They also do not have health insurance, a pension, or unemployment benefits. There
are not statistics on how many black market laborers have lost their jobs, but we personally know
many that have.
The government, under EU restrictions, is mandating wage increases. Currently, average incomes in
Romanian households are about a fourth of that in older EU member states. For a comparison,
minimum wage in Romania is about 150 Euros a month, while in France it is 1,200 Euros.
In 1980, Romania had a foreign debt estimated between 11-14 billion dollars when Ceaucescu
imposed austere restrictions on consumption and imports – a policy that raised the poverty level by
80% during the 80s. He was successful, however, in paying off the deficit. Today, the Romanian
deficit stands at 10.3 billion dollars. In order to help the economy recover, the government is
seeking a 20 billion Euro loan from the IMF. Because of a failed parliament, the loan was on hold
until the end of January. Interestingly, today’s government, like Ceaucescu’s, is pressing for
increasing exports and reducing consumption (by 5%). Perhaps, as Rosapepe said, it is good that
this is a capitalist crisis and not a communist one, but the approach to solving the debt problem is
quite similar.
Speaking of capitalism, before the crisis of the US auto manufacturers, the Romanian government
approved the aid of 57 million Euros to Ford in setting up a factory in Romania. While this certainly
means jobs for Romanians, it will take many years for the Romanian subsidies and tax breaks to be
recovered.
For the poor, their economic crisis didn’t’ start because rich banks made risky bets. The poor have
known little other than a constant economic crisis, but they have never received a bail-out. As banks
and insurance companies are saved at public expense, capital and currency is transferred from the
non-rich to the rich, accentuating the gap between the rich and the poor.

Emigration
Although the economic downturn forced some Romanians to return from working
abroad, approximately 2.5 million Romanians are working abroad (primarily in Italy
and Spain). In 2007 and 2008, Romania was the top country in the world for
transferring money to their home country. But this was greatly reduced in 2009.
The friends that we have working in other countries experience exploitation by their
employers and sometimes racism in the country of employment.
But the biggest problem is the estimated 170,000 “migration orphans” in Romania. UNICEF
estimates that 350,000 children have been left by at least one parent. Because of the promise of
higher wages, many of our friends have left their children to find better jobs in Western Europe.
Many of them justify their actions by saying that they are doing this for their children. But children
suffer neglect, receive less education and have little stability. The effects from parents leaving their
children are never good.

Prostitution/ Child Trafficking

Children left without parents means they are extremely vulnerable. The
department against the traffic of human beings says that sexually exploited
children remains high and the number of children trafficked from Romania
to other EU states has increased.
On January 25, 2010, it was reported that Galati is the leading county in
human trafficking (especially for prostitution) in the EU. 780 cases were reported in all of Romania
in 2009. A girl is sold for between 2500 and 5000 Euros.
Still, there are proposals in the government debating the legalizing of commercial sex. The
reasoning is that it will enable authorities to control sexually transmitted diseases. It also would
provide revenue for the state.

Street Children

The government reports some 900 street children in Romania, 152 of whom
were living in the street with their families; 253 without their families; and
the rest were working in the street during the day and returning home at
night. But, as you can imagine, the number of the non-registered street
population is much higher. In fact, the totals for Bucharest alone probably
surpass the government estimates for the entire country.
Still, fewer children are coming to the streets because of increased support to families, day centers
and night shelters. Many of those on the streets are there because of alcoholism, drug addictions and
psychological problems. Others have lost their homes and find themselves and their families on the
streets or squatting in dilapidated buildings.

Orphans
There are about 82,000 children in the care of the state, and the number
continues to grow. 24,000 children are living in orphanages – most are
between 14 and 17 years old. Twenty years after Ceaucescu, some
institutions are still horrific. The BBC recently investigated one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8425001.stm.
And child abandonment remains high. In Galati, there is no more room in the orphanages, making it
difficult for authorities to deal with new children coming into the system.
The EU is pressing the government to change legislation that would make national adoptions easier
and that would re-open inter-country adoption while alleviating the corruption that tainted the
process in the past.
Although great efforts were made in the last decade to de-institutionalize children, the youth from
institutions continue to struggle to integrate into society. One major problem is the lack of
vocational education and training.

The Elderly
Many of the growing street population is comprised of the elderly, often seen
begging on street corners and church benches. Many others are hidden in homes
called “asylums.” Again, statistics are hard to come by but one asylum I visited
housed 160 people in ten rooms with insufficient staff or resources. Visitors and
staff confirm that there has been little change in this state institution since
communism fell.

Those with disabilities

Although more attention has been given to helping children with disabilities,
the majority (72%) still do not receive any education. Nearly a third of the
children with mental disabilities are not accepted by schools offering special
education.
Many children with disabilities in institutions are not offered solutions for re-
integration into the community which may lead to their automatic transfer to residential care
institutions for adults.

Poverty
24% of all persons under 17 years of age are living in poverty, of which
350,000 suffer severe poverty. Children were the most affected by the
economic decline and recovered the least in the improvements caused by
economic stimulii.
Children that live in a single-parent home face a 15% higher risk of poverty
than those with both parents. The rate of children in poverty in the country is
double of that in urban settings.
The infant mortality rate continues to be the highest in the EU, while life expectancy is 8-9 years
less than in “developed” countries.

Abortion

Although contraception has become more readily available, many youth still view
abortion as the easiest method. One family planning study estimates that 106,000
youth between the ages of 15 and 19 have had an abortion.

HIV/AIDS
From 1996-2000 we visited about 40 children HIV+ that had been abandoned in
a hospital. In a partnership with Heart of a Child we found foster families for the
kids and created support for them. The HIV/AIDS situation has remained stable.
50% of the new cases are young people between the ages of 15 and 29. 78% of
the cases are sexually transmitted. Intervenious needles cause less than 2% of
the cases.
Over 7000 youth live with HIV/SIDA as long term survivors of those infected in the late ‘80s. This
group is in need of professional skills and vocational training so they can fully integrate into
society. Sadly, many of the children (about 41%) with HIV/AIDS do not receive education because
of stigmatization or other social problems.
One of the boys that we have known since 1996 has been apprenticed and employed by a close
friend who is a plumber. Not only is he teaching the youth a trade but also giving him skills for life.

Education and School Drop-out Rates

While Romania typically performs well at the academic olympics and places
many students at top universities throughout the world, 53% of teenagers have
difficulty reading and comprehending a text.
Currently, children are legally required to attend school until they are 10 years
old, but the enrollment in primary school has decreased. The EU is investing in
the construction of kindergartens, as they are insufficient for the number of
children. The number of school drop-outs tripled between 2000 and 2007. Although education is
“free,” there are hidden costs like, school supplies, clothes, food, transportation, paying for security
guards, teachers’ supplies and materials, and recreation. These costs represent a large percentage of
the poor’s income, often causing parents not to enroll children or forcing children to simply not
attend school.
Education of Parents
At our Community Center we strive to collaborate with the parents for the sake
of the children. The government supports mothers or fathers with about USD
200 per month to care for their child during their first two years of life. 10% of
mothers go back to work before the child turns one; 50% return to work after
the child turns two.
Sadly, 42% of parents in Romania understand the importance of the first two
years of life for the development of the child. Many children are raised by their grandparents or
close relatives during their early years, which means little interaction with the parents at this
important stage of development.
Recent studies indicate that 48% of parents use corporal punishment on their children – mothers
being the ones carrying this out in 85% of the families. Mothers also are the ones encouraging and
praising their children. Only 17% of families read to children under the age of 1. Also, 30% of
babies learn to watch TV – mainly because they are fed was the mother’s watch TV – which is a
factor in attachment disorders and attention deficit disorders.

Medical Care
25% of Romanian children suffer from chronic health problems, a 500%
growth compared to 2007. The main problems are obesity, backbone
deformations and eye-related affections. The growth is also affected, the
average height decreasing 2-3 centimeters: http://english.hotnews.ro/stiri-
press_review-4203286-what-the-newspapers-say-september-3-2008.htm

Child Labor
Romania law criminalizes adults who force children to work. Still, there is a
high incidence of child begging, and the government is struggling to find and
prosecute companies or individuals that illegally employ minors for work. The
punishment is 7 years in prison. In 2008, 1072 cases of child labor had been
reported, from which only 125 had been confirmed. Another report states that
70,000 children needed to work instead of going to school, of which only a third
who work on the streets are literate.
Romani
School drop-out rates are high and enrollment is low. Many experience
segregation at school.
Over 500,000 Romanis are illiterate. Poverty levels are three times higher
(77.2%) for Romanis than other ethnic groups.
Approximately 19% of Roma men and 11% of Roma women are employed,
compared with 40% of men and 31% of women of other ethnic groups.

Domestic Violence
While statistics are difficult to come by, it is estimated than in Bucharest, 21% of
women have faced domestic assault. The International Day Against Domestic
Violence, November 25th, is receiving more attention in the country. Ironically, on
that day last year, one of our boys came to the Center badly bruised from his
father’s beating him with an ax handle.

Drug Abuse
Drug abuse continues to be relatively low, but the number of users continues to grow.
In the past year, many stores have opened which sell “botanical” pills that have similar
effects as illegal drugs. Galati has seen more of these stores open than any place else in
the country. Recently, a death has caused the government to take action against these
legal drugs.