The elderly are one of the most vulnerable groups in Romania

Nearly 20% of Romania's population is 65 or over. Many of them survive on meager pensions as a result of working in collective farms during communism. Traditionally, in Romania, the elderly would be cared for by their adult children or other relatives. However, that system is falling apart as young adults move away or go abroad for work.  
Ana is 73 and lives in Brezoi, a town located in a beautiful mountainous area of Romania. Like many other elderly people, her small pension means she has to count every penny. 

Ana shares, “I worked for 27 years in a mine, extracting micas. The salary was small, and so was the pension. My monthly pension is about 215 USD, out of which I pay for utilities and medicine first. I use Whatever is left to buy everything I need, being very careful to have enough until my next payment.”  
Ana’s much-loved husband passed away eight years ago, and she deeply misses him.  
She continues, “My husband was 100 times better than me. He was a very good man. About the others in my family, don’t even ask. I am upset. Anyway, I have an adoptive daughter, but she barely comes to visit. We don’t really talk. My grandson lives abroad, and I don’t have any news from him. My granddaughter and her three children visit, but not as often as they used to when my husband was alive. I guess they find me crazy and outdated and don’t want to be around me. This makes me sad.”
 
Ana’s two-roomed apartment is crammed and messy, as she likes to hoard things. She has lived in the same apartment for the last 30 years, and everyone in the building knows her. She gets along well with the neighbors and likes to know what’s happening in their lives.
  
She said, “I am not complaining. I am pretty happy with my life, but loneliness overwhelms me. Winter is particularly hard. There is no elderly club in town or anything else for me to do. I wish my legs would keep up with me so I can do more.”

As well as having difficulty walking, Ana is experiencing some other health issues. As she gets older, Ana is finding herself less and less able to cope – but fortunately, Mission Without Borders (MWB) is there to help her.

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