Vienna (OTS) – CONCORDIA social projects appeals under the motto “Children’s laughter can be so cheap. “Just €1 a day satisfies hunger.” asked people in Austria and Germany to support children in need in Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania and Kosovo.
Children who grow up in extreme poverty have little chance of breaking the cycle of misery without help. Especially in countries where state support structures and infrastructure are still insufficiently developed. The conditions under which families have to live (survive) in the middle of Europe, some for generations, are hard to imagine in Austria and Germany. In half-dilapidated huts made of plywood, with no connection to running water, electricity, sewer or garbage disposal. The current onset of winter in Bulgaria, Romania and the Republic of Moldova makes the situation of affected families particularly serious.
In Bulgaria, one in three children is at risk of poverty; in Kosovo, 23% of children live below the poverty line. (Unicef Report 2022)
In Romania, child poverty is 41.5% in 2021 and remains in last place in the EU comparison after Bulgaria (Eurochild Report 2022)
In 2021, one in four children in Moldova lived in poverty, with poverty rates higher in rural areas. About 12.7 percent of the rural population lives in extreme poverty (defined as living on less than 1,843 lei/US$96 per month). (National Statistics Office, 2021)
“The misery of children that we find is particularly shocking. In Sofia, for example, there is very harsh exclusion of children, young people and entire communities who live in slums. In Moldova, on the other hand, there is more silent poverty, especially in villages. Due to parents’ labor migration, almost exclusively old people and children live there. Around 30,000 children grow up there without their parents. This is primarily about dealing with trauma and psychological care for the children left behind. In the slums of Romania or Kosovo, the focus is on the question of how they can get out of this circle of poverty through education.”
, says CONCORDIA Managing Director Bernhard Drumel.
Extreme poverty, neglect and marginalization mean that children in need are at risk of being excluded from education. But education gives affected children and young people a perspective and helps to sustainably combat the intergenerational cycle of poverty. CONCORDIA employees work every day to ensure that all children have access to
Being able to go to school, receiving all the necessary learning materials, clothing and a warm meal. It’s usually the only one.
Through sponsorship, sponsors enable the provision of warm meals in the CONCORDIA facilities for children in need in Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Kosovo. For just €1, CONCORDIA can prepare a warm meal for 1 child.
The CONCORDIA sponsorship makes it possible to provide 1 child with at least 1 warm meal per day for 1 year.
“We at CONCORDIA are there for children and young people from the poorest regions of Europe and support them in being able to lead a self-determined life later on. Our day centers are a model that works very, very well and effectively. There the children and young people are cared for individually by our psychologists, educators and social workers. On a systemic level, we try to give families and sometimes entire communities a better future“
– Bernhard Drumel, CONCORDIA Managing Director
Last year, CONCORDIA was able to help over 13,000 people with its regular support and over 16,000 Ukrainian refugees as part of the Ukraine emergency aid.
Every single donation and sponsorship to CONCORDIA helps to improve the lives of children and families in particularly precarious life situations.
CONCORDIA social projects donation account IBAN: AT28 3200 0000 1318 7893 or online
CONCORDIA sponsorships: https://www.concordia.or.at/patenschaft/
Questions & Contact:
CONCORDIA social projects
Catherine Wagner
+43 6763011916
Katharina.Wagner@concordia.or.at
Hochstettergasse 6, 1020 Vienna