Streetwise Kids - Romania

June 1996
Dark nights conceal the shabbiness of Bucharest Her shadows hide children sniffing glue from plastic bags; intoxicating themselves dulls hunger pangs and keeps them warm. Teenager, Vali, climbs down a man hole into an underground cave where he sleeps with six other children. Rubble and worn tyres litter the ground. After being beaten up in a children's home, Vali chose a life on the streets. Anca Dionese works for Save the Children and spends her nights visiting different groups of street children. She bribes them to give up glue sniffing with second hand clothes. By building up emotional relationships with them, she wins their trust. Near a metro station, she is upset to discover Maricica, a recent convert, sniffing glue with old friends. Maricica attends a day centre backed by the French where the children are encouraged to develop talents such as juggling. Official government policy is to return children to a stable family wherever possible. Report includes interviews with the Ministry of Education, Director of a State Orphanage and the Romanian Child Protection Committee. Profiles of the children prove distressing but it appears the government is renewing its efforts.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Street
• Kids
• Children
• homeless
• Romania
• Drugs
• prostitution
• Journeyman
• Pictures
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[jarklan]

Easy to judge Romania ey ? I have seen lots of poverty in the UK. You have got black gettos in the USA and milions street children too !. No Country is perfect !

[pimpmastabola]

@jarklan by in large poverty rates and quality of life in Romania is vastly incomparible to the United States. Even in your so-called black ghettos very few go without meal, and are not only a few steps away from opportunity. American poverty versus international poverty is incomparable.

[vindinArges]

@pimpmastabola it was amazing to me in 08 how many people fell for the most transparent message, as if any candidate would run on anything but hope? just how naive the American public is amazed me to the point I vowed never to vote in an American election again because too many ignorant people cancel out my vote and it is a very sexist place, will never forget how Hillary was treated only for running, and I still think that people will vote for obama, cause otherwise they won't seem p.c. sadly

[pimpmastabola]

@vindinArges

huh? Obama's approval ratings are lower there any president in modern times. Most epopel didn't realize he wanted to transform America into an entitlement state... they thought he was going bring back hope. All polls state he will not win even though all of his opponents are inept. I voted for him for hope not for socialism., his approval is lower then George W. Bush's ever was because of socialist ideaology. Obama's healthcare plan is almost universally disliked.

[vindinArges]

@pimpmastabola I understand where you're coming from but yet I'm willing to bet you voted and will vote for Obama like most Americans, so you obviously secretly want a socialist system that you call "entitlement,"

[pimpmastabola]

@vindinArges

the vast majority of the homeless in America espciay those found in inner-cities, are victims of substance abuse, mental illness. Ask them how much they get from begging... cause its more then you think. There are over 11 Million peoplne who live in America illegally, who dont speak the language, have no documents but work hard everyday contributig not feeding off of society. And yes I live in Europe, and I have seen these entitlement societies first hand.

[vindinArges]

@pimpmastabola check my comment above, what do u know about Europe anyway?

[vindinArges]

@jarklan in America there are so many homeless people they had to set up their own tents by the subway in Philadelphia

[Aoifeunderland]

@jarklan i agree. our street children aren't as bad as this just cause there's an incredible amount of child protection in this country. kids wouldn't be able to get away with living on the streets cause it's a requirement to go to school till you're 16, and if you're in school, they'll find out if you live on the street or not. but the emotional damage to poverty stricken American children is a little worse since they're forced to live in either severely abusive homes, orphanage, or foster care

[PerfectTre]

Look at me, i'm white and live in the U.S..

You don't have to be black or ghetto, i wasn't given a choice.

I want to be a business man, that's what i need..

Its my own hope, even now its 3:23 am, and i STILL wake up every single night because dreams about my past, you HAVE to be street wise or you'll die, thats the truth.

No drugs, no bullshit..

I'm 19 now and i am still recovering and trying to find my place, i don't have the "family" perspective like some others..

[Olengher]

@MultipleS2002 Help them directly, go there, make orphanages, foundations, hire gipsys.We dont want to help.Wiki for gadji to understand romanian-romani relations.Btw, these two words similarity is an unfortunate coincidence, olah/vlach peasants and nomadic indians dont have much in common.Plus the cocsuckers put a name similar to our own but continue a lifestyle that is very different.Its not a social problem cos we dont want them to assimilate in our culture and originally they didnt either.

[ibindundaia]

I-auzi! 30.000-40.000 de lei in 1996 cica faceau 10 dolari... bun, avem de bagat la poker!