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OutReach Moldova as founded in
September 2000 after seeing first hand the horrendous conditions that these
orphaned children of Hincesti lived in. That summer a large volunteer
contingent from Ireland had travelled to work with these wonderful children
including medical students, special needs nurses, farmers, tradesmen, mums and
dads.
The conditions that existed there previously were appalling:
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180 children aged 4+ abandoned or orphaned
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Temperatures of +40°C in summer and as low as -30°C in winter
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Little clothing - insufficient for the temperatures, no underwear and no shoes.
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3 to a bed - 2 to cot with insufficient sheets and blankets
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No medical, washing, recreational or educational facilities
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Severe life threatening malnutrition, intentional starvation, chronic
infectious diseases, emotional & physical abuse
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Severe neglect "Most of the children had combined physical and mental
disability with no medical care"
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Drugs and aid delivered to the orphanage were mismanaged
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Some of the children were victims of sexual abuse
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No stimulation, no love and no emotional support.
On returning home in September 2000 the volunteers decided to set up an
organisation that would provide for all aspects of the children's welfare. It
became apparent very early on that humanitarian aid, while needed, wouldn't
suffice.
We needed to bring the children's health back to an acceptable standard and
work from there. Yes they needed beds, sheets, towels, shoes, underwear, warm
clothing, shoes, brushes, nappies etc but without bathrooms there would be no
way to implement hygiene. Without a medical facility, equipment and a
well-stocked pharmacy there would be no way to start to bring them back to
health. Without trained staff there would be no way to move forward. But
without the necessary funds - nothing could be done. So slowly but surely a 3
year plan of action began to form.
The rest of 2000 was spent organising the permits both here in Ireland to form
a charity and trade under the name OutReach Moldova. Long discussions with the
Moldovan Government and the Ministry for Labour and Social Protection for
children were held in October and December 2000 and permission was finally
granted to begin work in Hincesti Orphanage.
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In January 2001 our first team of
doctors moved into the orphanage and it has grown from there. Today we employ
over 275 Moldavian staff including 12 full time doctors, 30 full time nurses, 6
Physiotherapists, 2 Speech Therapists, and a Dental team all providing 24 hour
a day care 365 days of the year. This medical team has been supplemented with
over 150 Carers, a dance teacher, 15 Teachers, 12 classroom assistants and 4
play assistants. We also employ drivers, builders and interpreters. All of
these staff numbers are in addition to the staff employed by the state. All our
programmes are funded by the people of Ireland lending their support to these
wonderful children.
The change has been remarkable. More than 64 children that were mute and
uncommunicative are now talking and chattering, 118 children that were immobile
due to neglect and their conditions are now part of a rehabilitation programme.
The severe life threatening malnutrition has been overcome with a nutritious
food programme and the children are for the first time learning to play and
interact with each other. The weekly specter of death has finally been removed
and progress is immense.
Since July 2001 there have been 16 x 40 ft containers of humanitarian aid
shipped to Moldova from Ireland and numerous air cargo shipments. We have sent
everything from new wheelchairs, medical equipment, nappies, clothing, to
building materials and furniture. For almost a year we were provided with a
20,000 sq foot warehouse in Dublin city where many people gave up their free
time, weekdays, nights and weekends to fold, sort, pack, box and itemize the
aid before it was sent to Moldova. Many of the volunteers that spent so much
time in Dublin packing were there at the other end to install it in the
orphanage. A huge thank you to Greg, Michael, Conor, Liz, Sylvia, John, Pearse,
Viv, Des, Maura and her staff, Dick and Steve for all your efforts and of
course the retired staff from TCD and the pupils of St. Andrews school. What a
mammoth task, done so well.
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Since
we began we have had over 600 volunteers travel to Moldova from Ireland from
every walk of life to lend their skills and give their time to children that
were neglected all their lives. From the medical field we have had superb Irish
doctors, nurses, physiotherapy and speech therapists. From the construction
industry we have had had the pleasure of the hardest working craftsmen who came
over to rewire, refit and refurbish the orphanage. From the teaching and public
& private sectors we have had some of the most creative and caring people
work with these children. All provided the energy, love, stimulation and huge
emotional support. Volunteers travel for periods 2 weeks during the months of
May to October each year.
The emotional change alone in the children has been remarkable and a huge debt
of gratitude is owed to all our past volunteers who keep returning again and
again. While we cannot mention each and every one of you, you know who you are
and we can't thank you enough. You should be very proud of everything you have
accomplished and know that your presence has made a real change in the lives of
children.
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