COUNTRY / PROBLEM
Romania is the seventh most populous country of the European Union. In 1966, Decree 770 came into force there as part of Nicolae Ceausescu’s merciless policy. Under the decree, women and doctors were put in prison for abortion. The plan of the then president of Romania was supposed to instantly increase the birth rate of the state and thus give it more power. As a result of its introduction, a record number of births was documented in Romania in 1967 – twice as many children were born as in the previous year. However, the state and its citizens were not ready for this – every year, tens of thousands of children were given aways to orphanages, which quickly became overcrowded. As a result of Ceausescu’s rule, violence, hunger, and poverty are the memories of nearly two million people with a horrific experience of living in Romanian orphanages.
ORGANISATION
Casa Pinocchio children’s home is located in the town of Babeni, less than 200 km from Bucharest. During the production of the “Domino Effect” episode, there were 32 children living there, and the building needed a thorough renovation and retrofitting.
PROJECTS
Kulczyk Foundation supported:
- renovation of all six bedrooms, together with the purchase of furniture,
- purchase of a computer (with a projector),
- purchase of toys for children under the care of Casa Pinocchio.
