Eight new Youth Centres have become part of the Youth Centres Network of Moldova developed by UNFPA Moldova together with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and the Swiss Cooperation Office. The Youth Centres were set up on the basis of Partnership Agreements signed between the Ministry of Education and Research and the Local Public Authorities.
Thus, during the Forum of the Youth Centres Network of the Republic of Moldova held today in Chișinău, certificates of welcome were awarded to the new Youth Centres of Geamăna village (Anenii Noi), Molovata Nouă village and Ustia village (Dubăsari), Bădiceni village and Vasilcău village (Soroca), Sireți village (Strășeni), Măcărești village (Ungheni) and Ștefan Vodă city.
Present at the event, Mrs Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to developing national programs for young people in the country.
In his turn, Anatolie Topală, Ministry of Education and Research welcomed the young people and reconfirmed that, ‘the Ministry supports and encourages local authorities to create such youth-friendly spaces and provide support in developing youth programs. Together with the development partners, we will continue to invest in the potential of young people from Moldova’.
Each Centre of the Youth Centres Network was equipped with digital technology: laptop, camera, portable audio speaker and SMART TV (55") and resources for youth activities: board games (a set of 15 pieces), bean bags, flipchart board, portable projector and a set of office supplies. The budget for the new Youth Centres is over half a million lei.
The Youth Centre Development Program aims to support the Youth Centres by investing in their infrastructure, supporting the delivery of quality programs and services for young people, and facilitating the engagement of young people in promoting their rights, providing opportunities for volunteering, personal development, awareness raising and socialization, creating attractive opportunities for recreation and leisure in a safe and inclusive environment, avoiding behavioural risks.
‘We are used to saying that young people are the future, but I also believe that young people are the present. This is why Switzerland supports young people's efforts to get involved in the activities of their community, their country and, why not, of the whole world,’ added Guido Beltrani, Head of the Swiss Cooperation Office.
The Youth Centres Network has been set up in 44 communities across the country, which have become hubs for connecting young people, as well as for achieving the priorities of the Youth Strategy, and improving young people's access to quality services for the development of all young people with no one left behind.
‘UNFPA highly appreciates the progress made by the youth sector in recent years. We want the young people from the 8 communities to be involved in the youth activities carried out in the Youth Centres Network of Moldova, and the new Youth Centres to contribute to harnessing the potential of young people for the benefit of community development,’ said Natalia Plugaru, Deputy Representative, UNFPA Moldova.
‘We already know how active young people from Ștefan Vodă are. We, at the City Hall, have teamed up in organizing activities for the Youth Capital 2022, and we are sure that the newly established Youth Centre will get involved as well,’ said Vladislav Cociu, Mayor of Ștefan Vodă.
Youth centres are public spaces, which belong to local public authorities and are intended to become local focal points for young people, where they can develop personally and gain professional experience. Youth centres provide young people with opportunities for volunteering, vocational guidance, leisure activities, etc. and are jointly developed by the Ministry of Education and Research, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the United Nations Population Fund. During the 5 years of the program, the loyal partners of the youth sector have contributed directly to increasing the quality of the youth programs/services provided by the Youth Centres Network of Moldova. In 2022, more than 30 thousand young people accessed the services and programs provided by the Youth Centres Network in Moldova. See the interactive map by accessing https://goo.su/9ZdP to find the locations of the Youth Centres across the country, where young people have the opportunity to realise their full potential, actively participate in community life and become civically engaged adults.
For details please contact: Irina Dragutanu, Communication Coordinator, UNFPA Moldova, tel.069694246, dragutanu@unfpa.org
