Chișinău, 12 august 2023 - A special train run with the destination Chișinău-Ungheni was launched today, August 12, for one day, to symbolically mark the International Youth Day (ZIT) 2023. The „Train of Youth” gathered over 200 young people and representatives of organizations of youth from several districts of the country and set off for Ungheni - Youth Capital 2023, where the national event celebrating young people, with the generic „Explore your potential” took place. During the trip, the young people participated in interactive activities, including quizzes, board games, team activities.
The „Train of Youth” left for Ungheni in the presence of the young people and the Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in the Republic of Moldova, Nigina Abaszada, who addressed the young people with congratulatory messages.
In his message to young people, Minister Dan Perciun spoke about the efforts of the ministry he leads to create optimal conditions for every young man and woman to realize their potential at home, in the Republic of Moldova.
„Today we celebrate, first of all, the energy, positivism, creativity, desire for change, idealism of young people. We have a mission at the Ministry of Education and Research and at the Government - to do everything in our power to convince as many young people from the Republic of Moldova as possible to come to fruition here, at home, to create families, get employed, assert themselves as professionals in our country”, declared Dan Perciun.
Nigina Abaszada, UNFPA Country Representative, the partner organization which, together with the Government of Switzerland, supports the development and civic activism programs for young people in the Republic of Moldova in the last years, mentioned that, globally, half of the planet's population is young and this trend will continue until 2030. In the Republic of Moldova, the dynamics are different, but there is enormous potential among young people to be involved in civic actions and community mobilization, to contribute to the country's well-being, reiterating UNFPA Moldova's commitment to empower the young generation.
In the Republic of Moldova, almost every third person is young and aged between 14-35 years. At the national level, there are several programs for young people: Youth Centers, Youth Capital, Grants for youth organizations, Local Youth Councils, District and Municipal Grant Programs. Through these programs, the state invests in youth actions and projects, aimed to develop their potential. In 2023, the budget allocated for youth programs is 15 million lei.
At the institutional level, in 2020, the Agency for the Development of Youth Programs and Activities was created, which has the role of coordinating the implementation of youth policies and the development of the sector.
The „Youth Train” race within ZIT 2023 is organized within the Joint Fund for the empowerment of young people and the development of Youth Centers in the Republic of Moldova, supported by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, the National Agency for the Development of Youth Programs and Activities, The Government of Switzerland /Swiss Cooperation in Moldova and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
