There are thousands of street kids in Romania concentrated mainly in the towns where derelict buildings are now being used following the authorities welding shut the access covers to the communal heating ducts where many of the children previously lived.

Isle of Wight Aid

Knitted teddy bears were included in the aid consignment sent from the UK to Romania by the Rotary Clubs on the Isle of Wight. 

They have also sent cheques to cover the cost of an eye operation and another to purchase logs to help keep some local families warm.

This is 'home' to some of the street kids we recently met in nearby Constanta. Cardboard is there main building material to help insulate them from the cold ground and it really does get cold here, especially at night when double minus figures are the norm.

A kerosene burner has been given to this 'family' group who will use it to enable them to make hot drinks during the very cold weather predicted for the this Romanian winter.

This chaps old wheel chair disintegrated when rust finally destroyed the strength of the metal. He is now very happy with his new aluminium chair that should last considerably longer in the damp conditions of another Romanian winter.  The kids seem to group together in 'families' although they are rarely blood related. This gives them better support and probably helps them endure this terrible existence.

Home for this 'family' group, is an old tin hut with a couple of mattresses on the floor, then sleeping bags and on top of that anything that can keep in some warmth. It's a bit like sleeping in a chest freezer on its coldest setting.

Life on the streets of Romania is tough enough even for the fit and agile but someone didn't like the look of the chap in the wheel chair and stabbed him in the shoulder so now he can't even get around in his new chair because he has no strength in that arm to turn the wheels.