Poverty within Eastern Europe.
Over 50 Years of Communism saw the destruction of both Romania and Moldova in economic terms. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of decent families being left in both Countries in absolute poverty. After Communism sadly there have been too few initiatives to address hard poverty in real terms. In the case of Romania that joined the EU in 2007, poverty remains at a level unseen in the west since World War 2 with far too many families struggling daily to make ends meet. The situation in The Republic of Moldova, which is looking towards Europe in the future, is likewise similar.
Prices of consumer products and mains services have all risen steeply in recent years and since Romania joined the EU and we now also see price rises in The Republic of Moldova too, plus the World economic crisis has since 2009 affected both Countries, causing major job losses and the closure of many mainstream businesses and production factories.
The North East of Romania has been described as the black hole of Europe in Poverty terminology with high rates of extreme poverty seen throughout the Counties of Vaslui, Iasi, Botosani, Suceava and Neamt. In The Republic of Moldova extreme poverty affects many families also in the former industrial towns like Balti, Ednet, Soroca and Ungheni, with further poverty being reported in almost every village across the Country, plus in the Capital city of Chisinau also.
Thousands of good clean living people in these areas of Romania and Moldova still live in sub standard small-roomed unhygienic dwellings, some even without mains facilities and many without modern facilities. Many of the dwellings are in a state of disrepair caused by a lack of financial means of the families living in them.
Poverty often means a lack of substantial food for these families. There are families that can afford only one meal a day and so children can grow thin and are prone to infection and disease. For those without work the unemployment subsidy is far too small to cover often food costs, plus afford gas and electricity and life becomes all to easily unbearable causing extra worry and stress.
In all areas throughout the World poverty and illness go hand in hand and within RCHF we address this by teaching children who are the future of any nation about serious health problems, so that as they grow up into adults they will understand and be able to often prevent serious illness appearing within their families.
