Trans-mission Partnerships

Poineile de sub Munte

Poineille is located amidst the Carpathia Mountains near the Ukraine borders. In fact, 98% of the 13,000 local people from the Poineille and surrounding villages are Ukrainian. First impressions are the striking combination of beautiful scenery yet extreme poverty. Most noticeable aspect is the number of people walking the uneven roads and standing on street corners, mainly due to high unemployment. It'salso noticeable that a high % of the population are children.

With the simple life style and the beautiful scenery, Poineille could be a prosperous holiday resort similar to 'The Black Forest'. With investment, employment could be created for many - especially utilising a workforce skilled in working with wood.

When talking to local people you soon discover that many, after watching 'The West' on television, have their dreams set on 'getting out of the area'. Many are desperate to speak English seeing this as their 'ticket' from the area. In fact, Emily who is Head of English at the school, has been our main contact and translator. Being a lady makes it difficult to 'progress' in Romania against male dominance, but Emily has gained respect with authorities and proved vital to our work. Emily has also been to the UK as we seek to develop our 'People Partnerships'.