A Struggling City

The city of Medgidia is located in one of the poorest areas of Romania. For four centuries the whole region was under Turkish occupation, a time when the Muslim influence was deep engraved in the customs and beliefs of the people. After the Communism has expanded in Eastern Europe, this area, like the rest of Romania, was the scene of some paranoiac type projects initiated by the dictator Ceausescu. Since Communism fell, in 1989, the area is struggling to recover from poverty. For many years Medgidia was the top one city in unemployment. While other areas of Romania have developed and have attracted foreign companies, the largest factory in town went to bankruptcy and is now destroyed. More than 7000 workers lost their jobs and that created terrible suffering for countless families.

It is hard to believe it, but even thought he country is part of EU and NATO, this city has yet many children and adults who do not have ID papers, so they cannot access any of the basics of life. They cannot have legal work, health benefits, bank account or driver’s licence. When they marry, they will do it without any legal documents, and their children will go through the same ordeal.

Vasilică Croitor a Pastor and an entrepreneur led the way in promoting a change in this region. His team works in Medgidia and in the surrounding villages. Most of the workers he trained came there as volunteers. These people are well educated and could easily get a well paid job, but chose instead to work among the Romanians, Turkish and Gypsies who need to change their lives.