Romania and Italy kick off communication project for children with parents working in Italy

Romanian children in the counties of Dolj, Gorj, Neamţ, Satu Mare and Suceava, whose parents are working in Italy, will be able to stay in touch with their parents easier via the Internet at their local libraries. This is part of a pilot program signed by the Labor Ministry in Romania with the Association of Romanian Women in Italy. The project, called 'Mom loves you', was initiated by Milan City Hall. Five libraries in the counties Dolj, Gorj, Neamţ, Satu Mare and Suceava will offer computers and Skype connections so that children can stay in touch with their parents. The Association of Romanian Women in Italy hopes to extend the partnership with the Education Ministry, so that children can use the school logistics to stay in touch with parents working abroad. The aim of the project is to reduce the number of suicides among Romanian children who stay in the country while parents work abroad. Italians call these children "orfani bianchi". Over a million Romanians work in Italy, and some 130,000 Romanian women in the North of Italy alone left their children at home, in the care of relatives. "There are cases when children were left on their own and are rarely in touch with their parents," said Silvia Dumitrache, coordinator and initiator of the project. editor@romania-insider.com