0:07
It is 6 in the morning in Zirnestri, a small village in the South of Moldova, close to the Romanian border.
0:12 SOUND
0.17
Just as he does every other day, Anton cooks the breakfast for his younger brothers and sisters. Since his mother left 5 years ago to work in Turkey, he is now the head of the family.
0.32
The four children have had to raise themselves. Their father is an alcoholic and is rarely at home. And the last time they saw their mother was 2 years ago.
0:50
Anton Niculita
16
OT ANTON "I remember how beautiful my mother was. I miss her so much. All the children who have a mother dont know how lucky they are.
Nicoleta Niculita
9 years
OT Nicoleta: "I last saw my mummy on the 20 December five years ago. My younger brother and I were crying, but our older brothers made fun of us.
1.10
She packed her things and went across the field. That was the last time I saw her. She just went away.
1.25 SOUND
1.27
Anton and his siblings are not an isolated case. According to Moldovas ministry of education, 30.000 children have been left without parents, who have left often illegally - to seek work abroad. These so called social orphans live with relatives, in orphanages and sometimes even alone.
1.42
They are immigrations forgotten victims.
1.47
The children have to take care of the animals on their little farm before they head off to School. They named their calf Marius". No one needs to tell them what their daily chores are. They know them well enough already.
2.05
Andre Niculita
13 years
OT Andre: "No we dont cut School. Sometimes I have to get wood then I cant go, but otherwise I always go to School.
2.14 SOUND
2.21
Everyone in the village knows the hard-working children. They are a role-model, for are children who grow up without parents.
2.32
Their daily journey to School isnt far.
2.35
Here, too, the poverty is palpable. The School has no heating
2.42
The toilets are shabby outside huts
2:45
And theres certainly no such thing as a school gym kit.
2.53
In Antons class the children are learning about the recent EU expansion.
3.02
On being asked how many children have parents working abroad, almost one third of the class gets up.
3.14
3 Kinder in Schule:
"OT Boy- Sandu Crafil
"My mother left 2 years ago to work in Turkey.
OT Girl: Alina Caranfil
"My Mother left 3 years ago and is taking care of elderly people.
OT Girl- Natalia Ezanu
"My mother worked as a waitress in Romania.
3.23
The same is true in Antons brother Costas class. For these children, left behind in poverty stricken Moldova, childhood is all too fleeting.
3.33
Maria Girnet
15 years
"My father has been working in Greece on a construction site for the past 3 years. He calls regularly, but I miss him very much.
3.45
SOUND
3.50
Nadejda Dobanda
Teacher
"On the outside Anton looks like an average child, but inside he is already a grown-up. He has so much responsibility. He has to take care of his younger brothers and sisters, and sometimes he does not have enough time to do his homework. In the past 5 years hes become very serious and solemn.
4.09 SOUND
4.12
Moldova once was a prosperous country which supplied the Soviet Union with much of its goods. But these glory days are long gone: the economy is in shambles, the factories are closed, and there are no jobs. To the east there is a volatile conflict over the secessionist region of Transnistria, which has frightened off Western investors. The only way out is to flee abroad.
4.34
Heidi Burkhart,
Hilfswerk, Austria (AUF DEUTSCH)
About 20-25% of the population have left the country, especially from the rural areas. That means that the fields are lying fallow, and the children stay behind. ¼ of the population! you can imagine what economic effect that has on a country.
5.00
This is already the poorest country in Europe, and here in Southern Moldova, the poverty is extreme. In the small town of Zirnesti one half of the inhabitants live beneath the official poverty line of a Dollar a day.
5.15
Where parents are missing, grandparents often have to step in to fill the gap. Five of Anicas seven children work abroad. At 86, she hadnt planned on being a mother again. But she has no choice. Now she prays shell stay healthy long enough to keep on looking after her grandchildren.
5.32
OT Anica Miron
Grandmother
"the mother of these children , my daughter, is a doctor. But despite the good education she still had to go work abroad. The government does nothing to help us. Even if you are highly qualified, that doesnt mean that you find a job that enables you to feed your children. I see no future for my children.
5.54
There are just old people and kids in Zirnestri now. And the few people of working age left, are scrabbling for their chance to leave the misery and squalor behind.
6.07
OT Taisa Lucinschi
accountant
"You need 2.500 Dollars to cross the borders illegally and work in Europe. If I had the money Id be gone already. In this village alone ½ the population left already.
6.23
The abandoned children have to make the best out of their situation.
6.32
Their chores are evenly divided.
They clean the house, cook and wash their clothes. Their biggest pride is a well that they built themselves.
Anton Niculita
16 years
"I built this well with my brothers. (PAUSE)
We dug for one week. Its 7 Meters deep. We als0o made these rings ourselves. But we need concrete for 10 more rings, then well be finished."
7.15
Their income comes from the little money they earn with their hot-houses. Here they plant tomatoes and peppers. Everyone lends a helping hand. The revenues are small.
7.28
Depending on the harvest they earn between 150 and 350 Dollars per year. The money has to pay their bills: the food for the animals, clothes for themselves, and supplies for the School.
But they have each other, their friends and the community.
7.43
Other children are less fortunate. They land in an orphanage, like this one run by NGO UNICEF. Our visit was announced and the kids are all dressed up for the occasion.
7.54
There we meet Kolya. His mother became a victim of human trafficking.
8.02
Kolya Nicolae
10 years
"My mother froze to death because she wanted to cross the border, to work illegally in Italy. She gave her bag to the smuggler, so that he could take it across the river. But he never came back. My mother froze to death in her clothes."
8.22
The children on our farm got used to their hard life.
MUSIC
8.39
OT Andre
"I wish mother would come back. She said she would come for Easter, then for Christmas, but she never came.
8.50
Life is tough for these kids, but they are modest and hardworking. Even the gift of a soccer ball is like manna from heaven. Imagine if they got their parents back
END: 9:07
AKM: CD 02-30033
Music by Michael Lorenc Filmmusik "Bastard" 1997 Boje Buck Production
Coloseum Schallplaten GmbH
2) Elena's dance
5) Elena's theme on Dulcimer
21) In Elena's tunnel
23) Elena's dance
Report: Katinka Nowotny
Camera: Alexander Muliar
Editor: Peter Weiss
It is 6 in the morning in Zirnestri, a small village in the South of Moldova, close to the Romanian border.
0:12 SOUND
0.17
Just as he does every other day, Anton cooks the breakfast for his younger brothers and sisters. Since his mother left 5 years ago to work in Turkey, he is now the head of the family.
0.32
The four children have had to raise themselves. Their father is an alcoholic and is rarely at home. And the last time they saw their mother was 2 years ago.
0:50
Anton Niculita
16
OT ANTON "I remember how beautiful my mother was. I miss her so much. All the children who have a mother dont know how lucky they are.
Nicoleta Niculita
9 years
OT Nicoleta: "I last saw my mummy on the 20 December five years ago. My younger brother and I were crying, but our older brothers made fun of us.
1.10
She packed her things and went across the field. That was the last time I saw her. She just went away.
1.25 SOUND
1.27
Anton and his siblings are not an isolated case. According to Moldovas ministry of education, 30.000 children have been left without parents, who have left often illegally - to seek work abroad. These so called social orphans live with relatives, in orphanages and sometimes even alone.
1.42
They are immigrations forgotten victims.
1.47
The children have to take care of the animals on their little farm before they head off to School. They named their calf Marius". No one needs to tell them what their daily chores are. They know them well enough already.
2.05
Andre Niculita
13 years
OT Andre: "No we dont cut School. Sometimes I have to get wood then I cant go, but otherwise I always go to School.
2.14 SOUND
2.21
Everyone in the village knows the hard-working children. They are a role-model, for are children who grow up without parents.
2.32
Their daily journey to School isnt far.
2.35
Here, too, the poverty is palpable. The School has no heating
2.42
The toilets are shabby outside huts
2:45
And theres certainly no such thing as a school gym kit.
2.53
In Antons class the children are learning about the recent EU expansion.
3.02
On being asked how many children have parents working abroad, almost one third of the class gets up.
3.14
3 Kinder in Schule:
"OT Boy- Sandu Crafil
"My mother left 2 years ago to work in Turkey.
OT Girl: Alina Caranfil
"My Mother left 3 years ago and is taking care of elderly people.
OT Girl- Natalia Ezanu
"My mother worked as a waitress in Romania.
3.23
The same is true in Antons brother Costas class. For these children, left behind in poverty stricken Moldova, childhood is all too fleeting.
3.33
Maria Girnet
15 years
"My father has been working in Greece on a construction site for the past 3 years. He calls regularly, but I miss him very much.
3.45
SOUND
3.50
Nadejda Dobanda
Teacher
"On the outside Anton looks like an average child, but inside he is already a grown-up. He has so much responsibility. He has to take care of his younger brothers and sisters, and sometimes he does not have enough time to do his homework. In the past 5 years hes become very serious and solemn.
4.09 SOUND
4.12
Moldova once was a prosperous country which supplied the Soviet Union with much of its goods. But these glory days are long gone: the economy is in shambles, the factories are closed, and there are no jobs. To the east there is a volatile conflict over the secessionist region of Transnistria, which has frightened off Western investors. The only way out is to flee abroad.
4.34
Heidi Burkhart,
Hilfswerk, Austria (AUF DEUTSCH)
About 20-25% of the population have left the country, especially from the rural areas. That means that the fields are lying fallow, and the children stay behind. ¼ of the population! you can imagine what economic effect that has on a country.
5.00
This is already the poorest country in Europe, and here in Southern Moldova, the poverty is extreme. In the small town of Zirnesti one half of the inhabitants live beneath the official poverty line of a Dollar a day.
5.15
Where parents are missing, grandparents often have to step in to fill the gap. Five of Anicas seven children work abroad. At 86, she hadnt planned on being a mother again. But she has no choice. Now she prays shell stay healthy long enough to keep on looking after her grandchildren.
5.32
OT Anica Miron
Grandmother
"the mother of these children , my daughter, is a doctor. But despite the good education she still had to go work abroad. The government does nothing to help us. Even if you are highly qualified, that doesnt mean that you find a job that enables you to feed your children. I see no future for my children.
5.54
There are just old people and kids in Zirnestri now. And the few people of working age left, are scrabbling for their chance to leave the misery and squalor behind.
6.07
OT Taisa Lucinschi
accountant
"You need 2.500 Dollars to cross the borders illegally and work in Europe. If I had the money Id be gone already. In this village alone ½ the population left already.
6.23
The abandoned children have to make the best out of their situation.
6.32
Their chores are evenly divided.
They clean the house, cook and wash their clothes. Their biggest pride is a well that they built themselves.
Anton Niculita
16 years
"I built this well with my brothers. (PAUSE)
We dug for one week. Its 7 Meters deep. We als0o made these rings ourselves. But we need concrete for 10 more rings, then well be finished."
7.15
Their income comes from the little money they earn with their hot-houses. Here they plant tomatoes and peppers. Everyone lends a helping hand. The revenues are small.
7.28
Depending on the harvest they earn between 150 and 350 Dollars per year. The money has to pay their bills: the food for the animals, clothes for themselves, and supplies for the School.
But they have each other, their friends and the community.
7.43
Other children are less fortunate. They land in an orphanage, like this one run by NGO UNICEF. Our visit was announced and the kids are all dressed up for the occasion.
7.54
There we meet Kolya. His mother became a victim of human trafficking.
8.02
Kolya Nicolae
10 years
"My mother froze to death because she wanted to cross the border, to work illegally in Italy. She gave her bag to the smuggler, so that he could take it across the river. But he never came back. My mother froze to death in her clothes."
8.22
The children on our farm got used to their hard life.
MUSIC
8.39
OT Andre
"I wish mother would come back. She said she would come for Easter, then for Christmas, but she never came.
8.50
Life is tough for these kids, but they are modest and hardworking. Even the gift of a soccer ball is like manna from heaven. Imagine if they got their parents back
END: 9:07
AKM: CD 02-30033
Music by Michael Lorenc Filmmusik "Bastard" 1997 Boje Buck Production
Coloseum Schallplaten GmbH
2) Elena's dance
5) Elena's theme on Dulcimer
21) In Elena's tunnel
23) Elena's dance
Report: Katinka Nowotny
Camera: Alexander Muliar
Editor: Peter Weiss