The Suciu family

Three members of our group met with Dr. Dan Sicoe and travelled to Arieseni to meet people with learning difficulties.

There they met the Suciu family, one of the poorest families in the area (we think). After a 45 minutes walk up a mountain they reached their house, this couple were aged 77 & 76 years old, they were taking care of two adults with learning difficulties, 42 year old Veronica is the couples daughter, and Mircea is their grandson, his mother - their second daughter, died.

This Suciu family has to survive on £22 a month. They have nothing! The clothes that they wear can't be called anything but rags. Their house is a shed comprising of two rooms, they have one room with a bench table and a stove in it and a second room contains benches that are used as beds.

The roof has more holes in it than we could count; Teodor (the husband) tried to fix the roof, but fell and has damaged his legs.

After a few minutes of being in this house (?) we were advised to leave as it and they were over run with lice and fleas.

This family obviously has to be self-sufficient, they do have a cow - which appears to be better housed than they are, they also have a few chickens and a dog.

They grow only onions and potatoes, as the land will not allow anything else to survive. The Suciu family live in a way unknown to most people from the 21st century.

They have no running water or electricity, the water has to be collected from a spring that is 500 metres away from their home, there were no washroom facilities (our group had to use the nearest bush)

Veronica and Mircea appeared to be happy, but the burning question asked from the parents was "What will happen to them when we die" they could be left for weeks before anyone found out, and in winter this could be months.

What these families must do in the winter when the temperature drops to -30 degrees C we have no idea!!

Many wild animals are luckier as they are able to hibernate.