Mikkel Hørlyck

The Neglected is published in Politiken

Andrei (10) looks up without seeing. He was born blind. At the orphanage the most common diagnoses are autism, Down’s syndrome and epilepsy. Andrei and his group are outside getting fresh air with a social worker, who drives the boys one at a time, while she sings and entertains.

In Moldova a dire consequence of poverty is that many parents don’t have neither the time nor the money to support their kids. One of the challanges is that the state lacks the funds to aid those who are mentally and physically challenged. Another challenge is that disability is associated with social stigma and exclusion. Both are often the reason why parents choose to send their children to an institution.

Petru (23) spends most of his day with his eyes shut, while blocking his ears with his hands. Often he yells loudly and hits himself. Petru is out getting fresh air during one of the daily trips around the premises. Suddenly, he stands up, opens his eyes and looks up into the sky.

In Group 3 there is commotion. They are walking up the stairs to the house while attempting to steal each other’s hats. The boys at the orphanage are separated into 18 groups, consisting of 8 to 14 boys and men. One or two female social workers are associated with each of the groups. 

‘Mama’, the boys in Group 3 call their favorite social worker.

There is a show in the theater room. The boys have been helped into the room, where they have been put in long, straight lines. Due to the financial costs, entertainment events are only arranged a couple of times a year. Today’s spectacle, hired by the orphanage, is a circus clown.

The social workers wake the boys up from their naps in order to dress them before dinner. They work 12-hour shifts. The lack of time and number of boys in every group doesn’t give them enough time and energy to provide sufficient care and pay enough attention to the boys.

The orphanage must cut back on expenses this year and therefore the amount of social workers assigned to each group will be lowered. Moldova has 3,5 million inhabitants and is located on the edge of the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania.

“Several boys often ask us if we have found a family for them. It makes a great impact. The boys lack care. It is the most important thing when a child grows up. It is very difficult for our social workers to manage to give all the attention needed for the boys. We are understaffed, " says Tania, a social worker at the orphanage.

Once a week the boys are taken to their weekly haircut. Adrian (17) and the other boys from Group 11 are known at the orphanage for having the toughest disabilities. It hurts, when the hairdresser tries to cut Adrian’s hair.

After lunch it’s time for the boys to take their daily nap. They are assisted to the toilet, out of their clothes and into bed. The heavy noise from the dining hall is replaced by a satisfied calmness that lingers over the entire institution. Still some of the boys can’t fall asleep.

Most of the boys never receive visitors. Marius (12) is lucky. His parents have come to visit this Friday. They have brought homemade strawberry mash and sit down on a bench below a tree. Marius’ dad, Grigore, fetches his cane and takes Marius, who suffers from autism, by the hand. Together they dance, until Marius falls into his father’s arms. 

Grigore suffers from multiple sclerosis; therefore Marius’ mother is the only one providing for the family and their three children. That is why the parents had to put Marius in the orphanage six years ago.

Between the daily routine of meals, naps and walks, the boys stay in the common room assigned to each individual group. Some sit, others stand.

Hand in hand, the boys support each other through the winter-cold corridors towards the dining room. The boys’ bodies are wiggling. More of them stumble into the doorframe on their way to their regular seats. Food is served four times a day, and every time the metal cups and the dishes are scrapped until they are empty.

“It's not normal in Moldova to see disabled children in the daily life. But the development is on it’s way and the view on disabled children is changing. It is not easy to change the human vision in a poor society from one day to the next, " says Viorel, a former employee of the Ministry of Health in Moldova.

Today the boys in Group 3 are filled with joy, ‘Mama’ is back.

The boys are playing outside either alone or together in groups. They entertain themselves, when the social workers are too busy elsewhere.

Many of the boys do not know their own stories for the sake of themselves. Some boys were handed over because they were born disabled. Another boy’s mother had been poured with chemicals at a factory, which made her boy disabled, according to a nurse from the orphanage.

Max needs help to do almost all activities during the day. He is wearing a straitjacket, which makes it easier for the social workers to feed him during dinner.

The Moldavian government has decided to shut down the orphanage in 2026. They want to place the boys in small houses close to society in villages and cities. There will be one social worker on 24 hour shift for every group consisting of six boys.

By doing so, they hope to teach them how to lead an everyday life e.g brushing teeths and learn daily routines. At the same time, it will bring them closer to society. The orphanage has already bought five houses, two of which are habitable. "Two of the most well-functioning groups have moved out there and thrive really well with their affiliated social educators. They do not want to go back", says Tania, a social worker.