Twelve-year-old Andrei is in the fourth grade and lives in a Children’s home in Moldova. He suffers from enuresis and he stutters. Despite his youth, Andrei has had a life full of risky exploits and problems that all seem to too much for a child his age.

Five years ago, Andrei’s mother abandoned both he and his brother Slavic. Their father worked in the village but would often drink up his earnings, leaving the two boys without money for food or clothing. Their grandmother took Slavic in but left Andrei to fend for himself on the streets.

Soon a relative suggested that Andrei go with her to Moscow in order to earn some money for himself. It was not until he arrived in Moscow that Andrei understood what trickery she had in mind for him. He was dressed up in old and tattered clothes and placed on a wheelchair in such a way that his legs appeared to be missing. A cardboard sign reading “Help me, please.” was hung around his neck The “managers” of this business forced him to go out and beg for money in the cold and dirty subway halls breathing in the filthy exhaust. If he failed to bring back a fixed amount of money, he was beaten and left without food.

Andrei escaped from that life in Russia and returned to Moldova by stowing away in the luggage compartment of a train. He returned to the Children’s home he had only briefly visited some months earlier. Although Andrei has not had much education, he is trying to catch up with his studies at the Home. When asked what would he like to do after he graduates from school, Andrei answered, “A teacher, in order to teach children.”

Sadly, Andrei’s story is not unique. There are thousands of children like Andrei in children’s institutions across Eastern Europe.

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