Root Mentor's rhetoric: "A destitute child lacks the luxury to soar"
Everlasting Struggles: The Long-term Effects of Childhood Poverty Across Europe
Living in poverty isn't just a harrowing experience; it's a continuous cycle that generations of kids in Europe are often trapped in. This stark reality is especially noticeable in Eastern Europe, where a child's future opportunities are limited, and they struggle to escape a vicious cycle of poverty, educational disadvantage, material scarcity, and often societal exclusion.
Innumerable Numbers, Inescapable Poverty
Bernard Drumel, CEO of the non-governmental organization CONCORDIA Sozialprojekte, shares insights on intergenerational poverty in Europe and the role of governments in perpetuating it.
our website: What's the extent of intergenerational poverty in Europe?
Bernhard Drumel: Unfortunately, it's far more widespread than it should be on a wealthy continent like Europe. The term intergenerational poverty refers to children born into a world where they have little chance of escaping a cycle of poverty, educational disadvantage, and material need. This level of hardship is particularly rampant in Eastern Europe, differing significantly from child poverty in Austria, for instance.
In countries like Bulgaria and Romania, minorities, such as the Roma, are disproportionately affected. In places like Sofia, isolated slums—known as Mahalas—house tens of thousands of residents, a stark contrast to the rest of the city. Children in these communities often have limited opportunities to integrate into mainstream society. Similar situations can be observed in Kosovo, Moldova, and other regions where labor migration to Europe leaves many children and the elderly struggling in rural areas.
Governmental Involvement
It's not that governments are doing nothing. In Romania, investing in education is crucial, as more than 44% of children who graduate from school are dysfunctional illiterates. In Moldova, there's a need to provide more opportunities for labor market entry, so young people don't feel compelled to migrate abroad. In Kosovo, essential state basic structures are lacking, like a foster care system for children without families or those with experiences of violence. In Bulgaria, more effort should go into social integration.
Recently in Sofia, a 20-year-old Roma quarter was forcefully demolished with merely two days' notice, a move fueled by stereotypes that the Roma are unwilling to integrate and are lazy—this is far from the truth, especially when it comes to children, as every child aspires to grow and develop.
The Consequences of Lifelong Poverty
Poverty in childhood stifles potential, fostering trauma, exposure to violence, and near-constant stigmatization. Affected children may internalize a victim mentality, turn to substance abuse, or engage in criminal activities.
Breaking the Cycle
CONCORDIA was founded during the collapse of communism, when children wound up on the streets. Realizing their plight, a priest collected them and established children's homes. Over the last twenty years, our approach has shifted to operating day centers for children who continue to live with their families. This allows us to address traumas, educational paths, and family issues more effectively as children come to us before and after school for care, food, and support from educators, psychologists, and social workers.
A New Kind of Poverty: When Money Just Vanishes
Communicating sensitively with parents is essential in such programs. Many teenagers prefer not to reveal they come from the Roma community, which often leads to lifelong crises. Building trust is challenging, as it takes at least a year to establish collaborative projects, and there are sometimes strong prejudices against NGOs.
Mistrust stems partly from bad experiences with organizations from abroad, the lack of follow-through after making big promises, and the misconduct of state institutions. In some places, such as Sofia, the police even cordoned off slums during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing residents from leaving while providing no assistance. Circumstances like these can breed distrust of everything outside one's immediate surroundings, making it easier for door-to-door populists to gain followers.
However, CONCORDIA remains committed, maintaining daily contact, and gradually building trust. This trust forms the foundation for our ability to help many children and young people break free from the backbreaking cycle of poverty. And that, admittedly, makes us a little proud.
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(Enrichment Data: Long-term effects of childhood poverty include increased risk of frailty, poorer mental and cognitive function, disability, and physical decline later in life. This is due to epigenetic changes and accelerated aging processes linked to early deprivation. NGOs like CONCORDIA can effectively counteract these negative effects through early intervention, multidimensional poverty reduction, community-based programs, advocacy, policy influence, and ongoing support as children transition to adulthood)
The main concerns of CONCORDIA Sozialprojekte, as shared by its CEO, Bernhard Drumel, extend beyond the immediate problems of poverty. They aim to counteract the long-term effects of childhood poverty through their website, focusing on health-and-wellness aspects like reducing the risk of frailty, poor mental and cognitive function, disability, and physical decline later in life. Additionally, other interventions by the organization involve other science-based approaches, such as epigenetic changes and accelerated aging processes linked to early deprivation, to effectively combat the negative effects of poverty on Europe's children.
