Monica:

In most orphanages, the staff did not truly care for the children. Violence and lack of food were part of everyday life.

Daniela:

It is hard to grow up in an orphanage. I was there.

Michelle:

On the days when my father did not come home by five o’clock, I would begin to tremble uncontrollably. I would run to the salt box, fill my little hands with salt, scatter it all around the house, and pray: “Lord, as You soften the salt in food, soften my father’s heart.” God, where were You then? I was a frightened, timid little girl. I spoke to no one, ashamed of the scandals in our home. That is why I know what suffering at its highest degree means.

Nicoleta:

My husband once worked as a guard at an orphanage. When it was shut down, the children wept for him. They loved him so much. He always listened to them, gave good advice, and never insulted them. Even when they were angry, he knew how to calm them. He always spoke kindly.

Liviu:

You are right in what you say, but reality was even harsher. I know because my former partner grew up in an orphanage from the age of three.

Elena:

I cannot imagine how anyone could let children suffer. Lord, have mercy and care for all children, so they may never suffer again.

Raluca:

I spent 18 years of my childhood in an orphanage. Abandoned there, but never abandoned by God.

Lili:

God heard your prayer—you did not lose your mind.

Ilie:

Oh Lord, how much cruelty lies in human nature… May God bless you!

Gabriela:

I was taken to an orphanage at the age of three. I did not even know what “mother” and “father” meant.

Anonymous:

Such a sad story. Children should never have to suffer.

Mirela:

My sister grew up in an orphanage. She carried many traumas, but with time she managed to heal.

Tavi:

As a child, my neighbor was a caregiver in an orphanage. She used to say that many children did not even know what it meant to be embraced.

Ramona:

What a hard childhood… No one deserves that. May God watch over those innocent souls.

Ada:

I too was abandoned at birth, but a family adopted me. I was lucky. Others were not…

Petru:

Let us never forget the little ones who suffer in silence. They cannot ask for help, but we can do something.

Andreea:

I worked as a caregiver in a placement center. My heart broke when one child asked me if I could be his mother…

Denisa:

Some of my best years were spent in the orphanage, where I had true friends. But I was always missing something: a sincere embrace.

Gabi:

One of the children there told me that his greatest dream was to have a bed of his own. Just that.

Florentina:

I know what it means to grow up without parents. Even if you have food and clothes, your soul remains empty.

Cosmina:

I volunteered in an orphanage. The children were thirsty for affection, not toys.

Marius:

One child once told me: “Sir, if you have children, tell them they are lucky.” It brought tears to my eyes.

Ana:

Sometimes I wonder if parents who abandon their children have a conscience. How can you forget your own soul in this world?