Think of Romania and for many, the heart-wrenching image of forgotten orphans rocking in their cots is often recalled.
Think of any east European country and the image of grinding poverty, a grey world with little enjoyment frequently springs to mind.
However, that is changing.
Since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, life has improved immeasurably as the former Soviet bloc countries shake off the shackles of communism and adapt to a western way of life.
But it is a long journey and one that needs help from those of us who can afford luxuries and thanks to a small dedicated group of people every year, thousands of gifts are sent to the poorest countries in Europe.
It's organised by Rotary, but it's thanks to you, readers of the Melton Times, donating the shoe boxes full of toys and other presents in our annual Christmas Appeal.
Peter Clare, the organiser in England, said: "People often ask me what to put in the boxes. But look around your house, nearly everything we see and take for granted can go in.
"Talking to a Romanian, I was told, 'during the Communist period, we had nothing to buy. Now we have lots of buy, but nothing to buy it with'."
Liviu Statache, who distributes the shoe boxes in north east Romania, describes them as little drops of happiness.
The shoe box scheme started in the mid-1990s when Rotarians from the north west of England went to build a kindergarten in Iasi (pronounced Yash), the second-largest city in Romania.
When they first visited they were appalled by the conditions the children were enduring.
Lewis Wilson, who drove some of the first lorry loads out, said: "The places the children were living in were hell-holes. We realised boxes of gifts could mean so much to them."
From the humble beginnings, a slick operation is now running, using International Aid Trust's warehouse and lorries to organise and transport thousands of donations east.
Pallets of boxes are made up according to their contents as described on the front so they can be given to the right child – there's nothing more heartbreaking than watching a penniless teenager open a box of toys for a toddler.
About 13,000 boxes are loaded onto a lorry which takes about a week to reach its destination where it is redistributed by a local organisation.
While most of the boxes are collected at Christmas time in the spirit of giving, the Rotary Club likes to spread the gifts throughout the year.
Many are given around Christmas but orphanages like to keep a ready supply for birthdays and other celebrations.
Some schools prefer to give them out in Summer while Easter is a more important date in the Eastern Orthodox calendar than Christmas.
So Rotary delivers its boxes throughout the year, to the unalloyed joy of the children.
It is beginning to withdraw from some of the richer countries, including the Czech Republic and Poland, freeing up resources for poorer nations.
This year boxes have been sent for the first time to the Republic of Moldova, by a long way the poorest country in Europe – although red tape has stalled progress at the border.
And organisers hope to move into Bosnia where the operation has to be mindful of ethnic tensions particularly between Christians and Muslims.
Mr Clare said: "The shoe boxes bring so much happiness not just to the children but also parents and grandparents. Not only do they get items which they would otherwise never own, they are from a foreign country. That makes it more exotic and shows them other people care."
- Next week, reporter Ben Truslove visits Romanian schools and church groups to see the children receive their gifts and return with a message of thanks.
