Ștefania was fired by the garment factory where she worked after her 15-year-old child died. Her own life is now at stake, as she cannot afford heart and depression medication, since her former employer did not grant her access to social security after the layoff.
Ștefania, 62 years old, worked at a garment factory for almost a decade, with a three-year break to care for her sick child. Leukemia claimed the life of her 15-year-old loving son with Down syndrome, just nine months after her husband died of lung cancer.
Ștefania could not afford to mourn or take time to heal after such unbearable tragedies. To make ends meet, she had to return to work at the only employer in her region, a garment factory producing for middle and high-end international brands. Less than a year later, she was coerced into resigning due to a mistake involving a pair of trousers—she stitched a longer portion of the zipper than required. Because she worked for less than a year, Romanian social security benefits do not apply to her, leaving her without medical insurance and financial support.
Haine Curate (Clean Clothes) has supported Ștefania for two months, but our resources are limited. She cannot work due to her health condition and the lack of employers in her region.
She still needs support until she can retire due to her medical situation, a process estimated to take four months.
Our plan to help Ștefania includes:
- Direct financial aid to cover the costs of medication and food for a decent living—estimated at 1,000 euros per month. This amount is still below the estimated living wage in Romania, which was calculated at 1,500 euros per month by the Clean Clothes Campaign in 2021.
- Consulting with lawyers to determine if Ștefania can sue her former employer—legal responses are pending as they analyze her case.
- Contacting the brands the factory works for and requesting them to intervene to remediate the harm done to Ștefania, as well as address other issues we discovered in the factory through worker interviews, such as unpaid overtime, threats, intimidation, and impossible quotas.
100% of your donations will be used for direct support, not administrative costs—these will be covered by Clean Clothes.
How can you donate
Via PayPal at the following link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=R999VZ2H26CP2
or PayPal QRcode:
By card through the secure Mobilpay: click here and choose an amount in the currency LEI/RON
By REVOLUT:
via phone number 0040721953906
or QR code
Directly to the Bank Account of our organization
IBAN for euro: RO55INGB0000999915638261
Name: Asociația Haine Curate
Swift: INGBROBUXXX
Bank Address:
ING Bank NV Amsterdam – Bucharest, Expo Business Park, Str. Aviator Popișteanu nr. 54A, Postal Code: 012095, Bucharest, Romania
E-mail: info@hainecurate.eu
Address: Strada Navigației Nr. 53 Sector 1 București Cod 012432
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