The latest statistics provided by ‘eurostat’ over 40% of all Romanians out of a total 20 million people live in poverty, suffer hardship and are socially excluded. Compare this to The Netherlands were the figure is lower than 15% considered in risk of poverty and one can see that Romanians suffer on a far greater scale and do so more than any other EU Country apart from Bulgaria which has the same high poverty rates. The worst affected areas are the northeast counties of Romania and it si for this reason that St RCHF places its base in the North East and undertake its recovery and standard-raising projects in these hard hit northeast counties of the Country.

It is fair to state that in the last 24 years since communism Romania now under a democratic system of government has faired no better than it did under communism when we speak of hardship and poverty. Large rural villages along with small communes are the most deprived in all regions. Because of an abuse of power by all governments since the fall of communism Romania has never had a plan or project to address the sheer poverty that affects millions of its citizens.
EU entry in 2007 didn’t bring any support for those in poverty who suffer daily as politicians used EU funds on non essential projects that were often aimed at gaining them more political power, rather than helping raise standards within the country.

Children in many schools particularly in rural areas go to school in the winter months in sub zero temperatures and then have to endure again extreme cold in class as their local authority didn’t provide funds for heating, thus children sit shivering in coats, hats, boots and gloves trying to learn. Schools lack often-basic equipment and modern teaching methods, plus there is in instances corruption on the part of school officials. In short children have a drop out rate of over 20% in mainstream education because of all of the above and especially in the poorest of families who cant afford requisites that must be purchased so their child can attend school, let alone other chargeable items asked for by the school. Rural children who account for over half of all Romanian children gain a second-class education compared with urban children who have far better conditions in school. Many children who live in a small commune have no transport to get to and from school in the main village which can be up to 7-8 kilometers away and have no option but to walk daily in all weathers, plus often if a public transport is available they cant use this as parents simply cant afford the super high transport fees.

Poverty affects health thus there is no wonder that Romania has the highest rate of Tuberculosis in all of Europe, often caused by poor sub standard living conditions. Over 2 million Romanians suffer from hepatitis B or C that are the two most dangerous types of hepatitis, 11,000 Romanians suffer from HIV/Aids virus and this figure may well rise as Romania has the fastest rise of narcotic consumers in Europe today with many injection users. Over 800.000 persons in Romania suffer from Asthma with a further 900.000 plus who suffer from COPD breathing difficulties. Over 150.000 Romanians loose their lives annually to cardiovascular disease amounting to 60% of all Romanian deaths. Around 3,000 Romanians take their own lives each year caused by extreme stress, poverty and mental problems. Millions of Romanians cant afford medical insurance and are marginalized when ill, plus the majority of Romanians can ill afford medication charges. The Romanian health system like the education system suffers from a chronic lack of even the most basic funds. Many Romanian doctors have left the country to work in European hospitals were they have European standard conditions.

Pensioners who worked a lifetime often in harsh conditions in the communist times find that now under a capitalist system they receive such a low pensions that doesn’t even allow them to have a decent diet let alone afford heating at home and fear becoming ill as simply cant afford medication charges.

Child allowance and social payments as low as they are often not paid for months on end to the most needy of people in the population and as direct result families with children, plus people suffering learning difficulties suffer hardship. The result is children without food growing thin and prone to illness, parents stressed at seeing their children go without and much more besides.

Within St RCHF we simply cant stand by and do nothing thus our well designed projects aid all of the above categories of people to a higher level and restore their humanity and respect that every person no matter what status they have in life deserves.