Kirsty Duncan
After enduring a year of itchy feet (literally), I'm off again and this time Europe beckons. Now I'm a member of DARE (Development and Research Expeditions) Society at the University of Dundee and I'm starting with a DARE placement in Romania. In 1980s Communist Romania, the dictator Ceausescu outlawed contraception and abortion in a bid to increase the Romanian workforce, resulting in the population ballooning. Parents didn't have the money, space or time to look after their children and many were abandoned or left in orphanages where, it transpired in the early 90s, they were abused, neglected and starving. A decade later, a huge number of children have migrated from these orphanages to the streets. Some reached 18 and were no longer able to stay in the orphanages and some ran away because they were poorly treated and believed they could make a better life for themselves. But with no home, money, education or skills, these children were unable to find homes or jobs, and instead turned to theft, drugs, prostitution and street crime. The children's ages range from 1day old to their late 20s are and they're not treated as citizens, but like animals. They sleep on the streets, down sewers, in burnt-out cars, in rubbish dumps and ruined buildings. They have no access to hospital care, benefits or social security. I will be working at "Open Hands" for 2 weeks. Open Hands is a rehabilitation centre which helps kids who have already managed to get themselves off the streets. They provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation (most kids on the street are addicted to glue, as this controls their hunger pangs), counseling, education, skills teaching (candle making and construction) and help to find an apartment and help to find a job. Most of the children stay for 2-3 years to work through a structured programme and are then able to leave the centre and live independently. Next I am visiting a maternity hospital for a couple of days to do some decorating to brighten the place up, as well as giving them medical supplies, baby clothes and blankets. I am also hoping to spend a couple of days at City of Hope, which works with the children on the streets, providing them with practical support such as food, clothes, medication and hot meals. Each day, they have a specific programme in the centre, such as a mother and baby group (mothers are given nappies, baby clothes, milk, etc. as well as support). They also help kids obtain identity cards which allow them to get a job and go to hospital, e.g. to have their baby, and they assist young people in finding their parents, returning home or finding a more suitable place to stay.
After this work I will be interailing for a few weeks around Europe, so ...Let the fun begin!
