Constantin Asavoaie

Subject : THE  ECONOMIC  SUSTAINABILITY OF FAMILIES

Introduction:

Poverty is part of modern World. For some people is life of frustration, lack of hope. Being a 6 years boy long time ago , it has been so hard for me to understand WHO is deciding about being born poor, despised, marginalized, unhappy with no solution for your own future.

After 50 years of communism with anything coming from Communist Party our brain has been " obliged " not to care about responsibilities. On papers everything had to be perfect : no poor families, no influence of capitalism and Western culture , no connection with that.

I have been a fruit of such education being infested by Communist doctrine. I have been sincerely dedicated to it until I found out the sickness of Communism passing afterwards through a time of deep depression who led me to suicide. My mind has been totally empty, my dreams dead.

We are now 20 years after falling communism,

This presentation is focusing on poor families finding ways how to strength and support them during this time when crisis is around any corner of the World.

Some facts about Romania

Population : 22.246.862 ( July 2008 estimation ). Labor force : agriculture : 31.6 % ; industry : 30.7 % ; services : 37.7 %

Inflation : 9,5 %. Unemployment : 5,9 %. Land : 237.504 s. km. ( water 7.160 s. km. )

Ethnic groups  :  Romanian 89,5 %,  Hungarian 6,6 %,  Roma 2,5 %, Germans 0.3 %,  Ukrainian 0.2 %,  Russian 0,2 %,  Turkish 0,2 %,  Other 0,4 %.

Infant mortality 25,5 death / 1.000 live births

Joined NATO 2004 and EU 2007

Hope to adopt Euro 2014

UNICEF and World Bank Report show in a report  regarding the impact of economical crisis in Romania : " an optimist scenario the number of unemployed people will raise with 100.000."

- the people who live on $ 3 / per day are part of absolute poverty. The number  of  poor  children will grow from 256.000 in 2008 to 352.000 in 2009. "

The most affected people are those  having a low level of education, the families with many children from rural area.

Robot-Portrait of Poor Person.

I have been one 50 years ago : Very poor family with 4 kids, alcoholic father, no means to survive ( a single milk cow ), obliged to work from the age of 5 ( caring ships, making small stone for road, working in mine ). Poverty paints a seal on your heart that You are nobody, this gives depression and lack of self-esteem.

Today : Lack of daily food  "helps"  the Family to easily get access into this category. In 2006 the poverty has been 3 times bigger in villages compared with towns, Roma families are on the top, rate is 31 %, 5 times more than normal poverty.

Absolute poverty scale by years : 1995 = 7 % from total population,   2000 = 35,9 %,   2002 = 28,9 %, 2004 = 18, 8 % , 2008 = 10 %.

Facts : each month 50.000 lost jobs ; by the end of 2009, expectation of 1million unemployed people, they will benefit of social care making a big pressure on National budget.

Black economy - source of prosperity for some people.

It is vital to monitorize the social rights at each two years and finance the strategy regarding  the work market from 0,35 % PIB in 2007 to 2 % ( the level of EU ).

Life with less than $1 per day of 1 million Romanians is a drop of the World Ocean of poor families. It is poverty also in Germany and Canada ( 11 % ), USA ( 12 % ), UK ( 14 % ), Spain ( 20 % ).

Antidote  :  social care, creating new jobs ; training for a new job ; minimum guarantied income.

FACTORS OF RISK : losing jobs ; low professional standard ; credit from banks ; financial dependency ; failure  of own business.

SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES :

- increasing criminality ( USA, 53 of sentenced people had less than $900 income before being arrested ) ;

- school's abandon

- immigration potential

- new vulnerabilities ( a single income in family, total dependency on this person )

SITUATION IN ROMANIA ( according UNICEF , crisis' effect and poverty in Romania ) :

- In 2008 1,22 million people including 256.000 kids are living in absolute poverty ;

- 2009 will be year of recession, PIB will decrease worth 4 % ;

- 2009 will " benefit " if 1,59 million of poor people including 351.00 children aged between 0 - 14 years ;

- the rural area will be mostly affected ;

- the children and young people do represent during 2008 - 2009 a rate of 43 % from total poor segment of population ;

- the local social department services aren't sufficient or don't have a needed standard ;

- persons wth independent activities represent 44 % from persons affected by crisis ;

- Roma population has a dramatic percent of poverty : 31,1 % compared with 5,7 % of total population ( Prison Fellowship Romania helps on weekly basis with food, clothing , school supplies, children's camps  and medicines three  Roma Communities ( one of 1.000.-, the second of 500.- and the third one of 300.- families ) ;

- children are affected by poverty ;

- 60 % of absolute poor families are of those having children ;

- 76 % of poor kids are living in rural area.

CHILDREN'S POVERTY , effects :

- healthy , risk negative physical evolution ;

- abandon school,

- moral and physical degradation ;

- late intellectual progress ;

- exposed to abuse and neglect

- increasing juvenile delinquency, begging on street.

A BIG RATE OF ABANDONING CHILDREN AND THEIR INSTITUTIONALIZATION

- as never before, babies abandoned in maternity ;

- Prison Fellowship Romania's models

- young people 18 years old leaving institutions ;

- abuse in family

- children forced to work

- sexual abuse

- international children traffic

- increasing juvenile's criminality

- drugs

- street children

- homeless people

PRIORITIES OF ACTION :

- supporting families with children, financial, material help ( Prison Fellowship Romania assist a number of 18.000.- families each year ). Raising up Communities' awareness, lobby ;

- improving school participation ;

- second chance, focus on people with potential   of success ;

- changing mentalities on high level ( politicians ) and Community level ;

- housing support, social houses ;

- increasing support of social services ;

- a real Reform regarding school's abandon ;

- support for 18 years young people who are leaving institutions : stability in life, job, having a family, life management skills, moral values ;

- prevention and control of street children situation ( model of Prison Fellowship Romania ) ;

As final word, I wanted very much to freely share from the fountain of my heart something about what does mean to be poor : lots of needs but to be responsible to help yourself. Having a changed mentality and responsibility , a poor family will not be always dependent on support and help, this will make them sick of " poverty cancer " with no chance of healing.

I am especially grateful to the organizers  of this Congress who have brought us here from the whole World. I do feel from the fountain of my heart that they are highly looking to poverty and its place in the Year 2009. It is my personal opinion that we , all the participants , are as a rainbow with different colours BEING UNITED by the unity of each of us in common goal to realize that today in Amsterdam it our special calling and responsibilities to heal the World by the sickness of poverty.

THANK YOU !!!!