ANDREA DIEFENBACH, GERMANY
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: CHILDREN LEFT AT HOME
They have to fend for themselves. And very often they even have to look after their little brothers and sisters. Some are lucky enough to live with their grandmother or even both grandparents. Nearly one in three children in the Republic of Moldova is living without its father or mother. Some of those left behind will not see their parents for whole months or even years. The money their parents earn abroad by working in elderly care or harvesting crops is not enough to visit their children at home. In addition, the parents also often have to pay a lot of money to their trafficking agencies. As a result, their only connection in many cases is a voice on the phone or a face on the computer screen during their Skype sessions. This leads to sorrow and solitude on both sides. German photographer Andrea Diefenbach documents these separate worlds in her 2012 book “Country without parents”.
In 2006, a study funded by UNICEF found that children who are left behind at home by their parents often suffer from this separation and create an emotional distance over time. The study also shows that it is particularly difficult for small children left behind to develop any kind of genuine social contact, even with other children their age.
© Andrea Diefenbach/Freelance Photographer
Curriculum Vitae: Andrea Diefenbach
