Gender stereotypes and discrimination, environmental crisis, lack of recreational spaces for youth, vocational orientation - these are just a few of the issues identified by young people across the country in the 'YouCreate' program, held from September to November 2023 in the Republic of Moldova.

As part of the program initiated by Terre des hommes Moldova with the support of the United Nations Population Fund and the Swiss Government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research and the National Youth Agency, 17 teams of young people, adults, and teachers from 15 districts worked together and found creative solutions to community problems. On December 9, the teams gathered in Chisinau for an awarding event and celebration of the results.

"Today, we witnessed a transformation of the youth and the YouCreate program, and we are proud of this. Over the years, we have worked so much with young people and youth workers, and now we can see the results of our work. What YouCreate aims to do is bring prosperity, self-confidence, and resilience to young people, using creative tools. This year, we saw through youth initiatives that young people used all forms of art and felt so good in the activities they carried out," said Elena Madan, director of Terre des hommes Moldova.

One of the 17 innovative initiatives that were awarded is the "Live Museum" created by the Narnia team from Anenii Noi Youth Center. The young people aimed to combat the most common stereotypes they encounter in their community, specifically those related to gender, age, ethnicity, abilities and disabilities, physical appearance, etc. The youth illustrated real experiences inside the museum to convey powerful messages about discrimination and to make visitors reflect on how they perceive and relate to these stereotypes.

"We thought and illustrated every detail so that the public could recognize the phenomena and reflect on them. And the reactions we saw after the launch were an indicator for us that we succeeded in bringing to the public's attention a theme that everyone can relate to," said Ariana Sertinean, a volunteer at the Anenii Noi Youth Center and one of the authors of the idea.

Another initiative from a group of young people and adults from Gratiesti focused on environmental issues. They invited the community to take a small step for a greener world through an ecological festival that came up with solutions for rational consumption and a cleaner environment.

"With this initiative, we wanted to create a model for young people in Gratiesti to be proactive in addressing environmental issues. At the 'Eco Party' festival, we presented a series of ideas and solutions on how we can reduce consumerism, talked about recycling, and focused on eco habits that can be easily adopted by each of us," mentioned Andreea Cojocari, a youth worker at the Grătiești Youth Center.

The 17 "YouCreate" teams worked together, involving both adults and teachers from their localities. To implement their ideas in practice, the teams received grants worth $2,000, which helped them buying materials, organizing events, and carrying out awareness-raising activities.

"I was impressed by your passion, creativity, and energy. You had fun, enjoyed spending time together, and did something meaningful for your communities. This is what we want to support and develop in the Republic of Moldova. Keep it up!" mentioned Guido Beltrani, Head of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the Republic of Moldova.

"Young people are the power for progress in any society. Through this program, as well as other similar initiatives, UNFPA supports the participation and civic engagement of the younger generation. Only by empowering young people and educating adolescents and youth in the spirit of healthy values, inclusion, and social solidarity can we solve many of the current problems, and the 17 initiatives we have followed today demonstrate this fact," said Ludmila Sirbu, Youth Program Analyst at UNFPA Moldova.

In 2023, approximately 390 young people participated in the development and implementation of the 17 community initiatives, and over 3,000 other young people from 17 cities and villages participated in activities organized within these projects.

The #YouCreate program is carried out by Terre des hommes Moldova as part of the Joint Fund for Youth Empowerment and Development of Youth Centers in the Republic of Moldova, supported by the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Youth Agency, the Government of Switzerland and UNFPA.