Four more schools in the Republic of Moldova have been equipped under the #EduLIFE model, integrating education and life skills development through modernizing a classroom for Health Education and other subjects that develop healthy life skills, renovating the medical office and the school psychologist's office, training teachers and students, equipping school restrooms with free menstrual hygiene product dispensers for girls.

The total UNFPA investment in these four educational institutions amounts to approximately 2.1 million MDL, with additional financial contributions from the Felicia Foundation and local public authorities.

On February 24, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Education and Research (MEC), in partnership with the Felicia Foundation, the Youth Media Center, and the Suntparinte.md platform, launched the EduLIFE 2025 School Program at "Taras Shevchenko" Gymnasium in Chișinău, which hosts the country's most significant number of refugee students.

The launch took place on the day marking three years since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. During this time, thousands of Ukrainian students and their parents sought refuge in the Republic of Moldova and integrated into the education system. Creating friendly learning environments and providing access to medical and psychological counseling services are crucial for facilitating the integration of these students. At Taras Shevchenko Gymnasium, 225 refugee students are currently enrolled, with several classes offering instruction in both Ukrainian and Romanian.

"Over the past three years since the war in Ukraine began, the Ministry of Education and Research, alongside other partners, has invested in educational institutions hosting refugee students to create the necessary conditions for their integration and to provide them with a new home. Today, alongside UNFPA, we are launching three newly renovated spaces at Taras Shevchenko Gymnasium and three other institutions in the country. We will continue to improve these schools and invest in creating high-quality education at the highest standards for all students," stated Dan Perciun, Minister of Education and Research.

UNFPA Expands the EduLIFE School Program to Three More Institutions: Mihail Koțiubinski Theoretical High School, Chișinău, Mihail Ceachir Theoretical High School, Ceadîr-Lunga (model school),  Alexandr Pușkin Theoretical High School, Ungheni (model school)

"The transition from adolescence to adulthood should be healthy and risk-free. To achieve this, young people need access to resources and relevant information, which they can find in EduLIFE schools. Through the EduLIFE School Program, UNFPA, together with its partners, supports youth development through three essential components: investments in infrastructure, access to free menstrual hygiene products, and health education, ensuring that students are equipped to make informed choices for their health and well-being," stated Natalia Plugaru, Deputy Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Moldova.

Alongside the newly created infrastructure, students and teaching/non-teaching staff from the four institutions have benefited from training on preventing unplanned teenage pregnancies, bullying prevention, menstrual hygiene management, available free youth health services, the role of the optional subject "Health Education," other key topics essential for students' well-being and development.

In 2024, the Felicia Foundation joined the EduLIFE School Program through a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research and UNFPA. The foundation has invested in: equipping a medical office and providing five model schools with dispensers and free menstrual hygiene products for the entire school year.

"At Felicia, we were happy to join the EduLIFE Program because it aligns with what we believe in—supporting healthy generations, both physically and emotionally. Public-private partnerships offer access to additional financial resources and expertise and support, which we are committed to continuing to provide," stated Natalia Sturza, General Director of the Felicia Group.

The EduLIFE School Program is now present in eight schools across the country. It was piloted during the 2023-2024 school year in four educational institutions, and the results showed that health education and free access to menstrual hygiene products in schools contribute to the development of healthy life skills, reduce bullying, and decrease school absenteeism among girls. The pilot program results demonstrated that after the installation of sanitary pad dispensers, the percentage of girls who missed school at least once due to menstruation dropped more than four times—from 55.2% to 12.5%. Additionally, 56% of surveyed girls reported feeling safer at school.

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