Silvia Trifan’s voice trembled as she spoke. The single mother, 36, has a job as a cleaner – but her wages are too low to provide her children with everything they need.
Her son Vasile, 14, has a mobility impairment that makes it impossible for him to go to school – the long bumpy roads are not suitable for a wheelchair – and he is taught the main subjects at home.
“One day, I want to have a good job working in IT,” he said. “I want to make lots of money and take good care of my mother and sister and see them happy – because they are the best!”
He and his 10-year-old sister Iuiana, live with their mother in one small room, with an old, cracked door and a draughty window. Silvia has covered the door with a warm blanket to try and keep the room warm, and she has put blankets on the cold cement floor. She cooks food on the small fire stove, and this is also where water is heated for tea and for washing.
Silvia said, “Our family motto is to move forward and do our best. There was a time when everything was broken – our family, our home, our health, our hopes, everything.
“I had two choices – to break down and give up, or to just keep moving no matter what. I chose the second option.”