For 3 days, 75 students from 12 colleges and centers of excellence in the country participated in the General Assembly of the of the Peer to Peer Educators Network, under the guidance of 9 mentors from the Vocational Education Training (VET).

At the opening of the event, Galina Rusu, State Secretary, Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova stated: „You have the opportunity to discuss in your environment, how to make it healthier and friendlier to you and your peers. I am sure that you will make use of this mentoring time, where you will develop valuable skills for you, during this period, but also for the future”.

Natalia Plugaru addressed the youth in her opening speech, saying: „We at UNFPA Moldova are here to help young people capitalize on their potential, help them master life skills and be resilient, in addition to the job they are learning”.

„My name is Maria, I study at the Agroindustrial College in Rișcani and I am proud to be a #Peertopeereducator”. This is how the young educator, who wanted to share her college’s experience with her colleagues, started the presentation. They organize planning discussions so that they can involve as many young people as possible, they address topics of interest to young people, especially taboo topics, they try to bring solutions to the questions of young people and teenagers.

The Peer to Peer Educators Network from VET includes over 85 students who promote the development of healthy life skills and the necessary skills for job readiness, through non-formal education activities. The network was created in 2020 by UNFPA in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, within the project „Development of life skills and healthy behaviors among students in technical vocational education for better employment in the field of work" implemented in 12 VET institutions.