Romania is a country struggling to evolve economically from the effects of communism and especially the quarter-century leadership of Ceausescu. As well as his regime of terror, he made the ordinary citizen¹s living conditions poor through food shortages, brought about by exploiting the country¹s farming capacity by selling it off to help pay the country¹s mounting debts. The number of mouths increased considerably through the encouragement of large families. As one communist regime after another collapsed in 1989, the disillusioned Romanians deposed Ceausescu, tried and executed him, all in ten days.
Insecurity and loss of jobs in a free market has brought about great poverty. Many families still find their average wage insufficient to cover the rent of even a small apartment. The legacy of large families has caused many to simply abandon their children because they cannot cope ¬ even today 4000 children live on the streets of the capital Bucharest, fending for themselves, sleeping in sewers, forced into begging, stealing and prostitution to survive.