Report on inspection visit to Tuger-moras Orphanage Romania
Visit conducted by; Joe Mitchell
Date; 12th – 15th August 2009
Background
Reports of unsatisfactory conditions and treatment of children were made by Jamie Jones to Shane Lee and Davy Jones at Willenhall Church. As a result after discussion with elders of the Mission, I decided to visit the orphanage unannounced to see first hand what the current conditions were and to determine whether there was any substance to the allegations.
It is viewed as important that conditions and treatment are beyond reproach, not just for the welfare of the children, but for the Mission too – any negative publicity, whether true or not would have a detrimental effect on the giving of funds, commitment to the orphans and the external view of the Mission.
Summary
The details are further in this report, but I found the conditions to be exceptional. The orphanage was clean and tidy, the children seemed happy; they were well fed and dressed and there was no sign of any abuse, physical or otherwise.
This is substantiated by:-
- Reports from the doctor and nutritionist
- As observed by me during the visit
- Witness reports from a husband and wife (school teacher and judge) who have lived opposite the orphanage for some 5 years. They regularly visit the orphanage and indeed their children both play there and invite friends from the orphanage to play at their house
Recommendations
No mistreatment was observed and the orphanage appears in good order, supervised by skilled and caring staff. However as a Mission we have a duty to ensure that it remains so and I would suggest that in addition to organised visits to the orphanage that we ensure that unannounced inspections are carried out 2 times a year by an appointed elder. This should not be the same elder each time so that we can ensure that we are getting a clear view
Any and all claims of mistreatment should be seriously regarded and investigated by the Members of the Mission as a priority. Should a claim warrant inspection, an elder should be appointed and visit the orphanage as soon as possible and without prior notice.
Appendix 1 – Reports
Appendix 2 – Pictures taken during visit
Classroom facilities viewed on visit
