Mikkel Hørlyck

The Neglected is published in Politiken and Público

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. At the same time, a social worker drives a boy up and down the road, who she sings to and entertains.

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.

Timur and Mihail from Group 3 are holding hands. Their group are playing around at the open field, near the concrete fence of the institution.

In Moldova a dire consequence of poverty is that many parents have neither the time nor the money to support their kids. One of the challenges 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.

A boy is walking to his room. “Several boys often ask us if we have found a family for them. It makes a great impact. 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.

Mihail is sitting on an outdoor chair with his hat on, while his group are playing around. Moments after, a social worker and boys from his group help him back into his room.

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.

A nurse is giving a boy his medicine, while a social worker supports her. The nurse visits all groups during the day.

A social worker gives a boy his teddy bear to make him calm. The boy was restlessly going around in circles in the yard. 

Moldova has 3,5 million inhabitants and is located on the edge of the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania.

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.

A social worker is outside with a group and walks with them around the institution. “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.

Two men from the same group are fighting. They stop and become good friends again. 

Mihail is watching television alone in the common room of his group. 

The social workers are serving dinner for the boys and men. The man in the middle always eats his food quickly. He rises up and tries to find food. Some of the boys, who don't eat up, give him their plate.

The social worker of the group has placed the group of boys in the sun, which they enjoy a lot.

Mihail and Christian are sitting in their group's common room. Mihail (right) is observing his friends.

The boys from Group 3 are supporting Mihail on the stairs, back into their room. Mihail is challenged when he has to walk. The boys and social workers always help him.

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 only because they were born disabled.

The weather is cloudy, on a calm and quiet Sunday at the institution.

A social worker drives the boys back and forth, on the road in shifts, while the sun is shining.

A group of boys and men are standing, sitting or playing in their room. 

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.

A group of boys is out on the road, which goes all around the institution. Nicolae is sitting on the asphalt, a couple hug and the rest of the group play around or walk up and down the road.

Four boys from a group are on their way back to their rooms through the long corridors of the institution.

A group is outside on their daily walk. 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 a 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 teeth 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.