specific needs of children and elderly left behind as a ... - IOM Moldova

CHAPTER I
ing: “My husband and my son were taking him out of trouble so that he
would not defame all of us” (III_E_9).
Negative affective feelings of the elderly whose children migrated abroad
caused by abusive situations are expressed during a spiritual counselling
process that is part of religious rituals. A community priest confirmed that
confesses of his parishioners denote that old people’s close relatives commit
crimes, causing financial and emotional damages: “There are stories in
our village that I have heard where peoples own grandparents, not strangers
had stolen their poultry, another stole a yearling and another one just
entered their house and stole around 2000 lei” (III_E_5); “They’ve taken my
poultry. And I know that it was one of these lads who knew... as he has
taken two of them... the most beautiful chicken that I had... and then he took
the cock... and then he went on taking two, three of my chickens” (III_E_10).
One of the problems highlighted by the results of the study is the acute
feeling of anxiety and fear of an eventual abuse the elderly with migrant
children experience. The data proves that the level of vulnerability at the
hands of community persons positively correlates with the gender of the
elderly (more women) and the decrease of self-defence capacities due to
age: “Another woman had a problem. She said that somebody entered her
house and took something away and that happened when she was alone, her
children were gone. These thieves go to the persons who cannot defend
themselves, that’s where they go” (III_E_5).
The stressful state is experienced by the elderly with labour migrant children
and who were victims of an abuse, as well as by people who have
only witnessed these abusive practices. The emotional shock, physical
abuse fed by pain, insecurity, humiliation and the total lack of protection
are specific for the elderly who are home alone as a consequence of their
children’s migration. One of the elderly asserted that “There are a lot of
problems and I feel the need to be helped at every move I take, I don’t know
how to say to anyone, is there any help! Even at home I don’t feel secure… I
step aside as I don’t see well, I hit my head on the wall, there are elderly who
have a good eyesight, but I… you see, I was robbed in 2002 by some thieves
from Hincesti, they entered my house, I was alone in the house and they
tied my hands and feet and wrapped my mouth so that I would not be able
to scream, but I screamed so hard that I thought I’d break into pieces. I was
alone then and my children were away” (III_E_5). The sudden loss of eyesight
as a consequence of head traumas caused by the abusers is sharply felt
by the elderly. The memories that cause posttraumatic stress are still vivid,
and poor eyesight makes people being of acute need of help.
The insecurity connected to relatives represents another source of anxiety
and fear. According to the experts from Balti some lonely elderly with
labour migrant children and some of the elderly who returned home from
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