Romania
IDEA Provides Direct Impact
The Foundation provides assistance to Maria Ciurar, an 88 year old widow in Hetiur, Romania. She lives on a $4 per month pension from the agricultural cooperative. Maria used the funds from IDEA to be reconnected to electricity and gas. IDEA also purchased basic food staples for her. She told us in the spring that she would have died during the cold winter without our assistance.
Zaharie and Elisabeta Golomban receive funds annually from IDEA. The Golombans live in the village of Boiu and survive on Zaharie’s $5.33 pension as a war veteran. Zaharie is a semi-invalid and Elisabeta looks after him and their 45-year old mentally handicapped son. Last year they used the IDEA funds to buy firewood, food, and to pay their property taxes.
Romanians deposed dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu in December 1989 and began the long road to democracy and a free-market economy.
The government was dominated by communists until 1996 when they were voted out of office. The country joined the EU in 2007 and has showed strong economic growth in 2005-6.
Once known as the “Breadbasket of the Roman Empire,” Romania is one of the most beautiful countries in SE Europe. Yet many the elderly poor of rural Romania remain mired in poverty. For more information on the country, see www.aboutromania.com.