National Drawing Competition held in context of International Migrants Day

Chisinau, 18 December /MOLDPRES/- The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection in partnership with the Mission of the International Organisation for Migration today organized a ceremony to award the winners of the second issue of the National Drawing Competition “Migration through the eyes of children”, which took place on 27 November-13 December. The event was held in the context of the International Migrants Day.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection Anastasia Oceretnii said that the institution is concerned about the coverage of migration processes and the right of migrant citizens. Thus, the ministry signed seven bilateral agreements with the countries of destination of migrants, and in 2017 two agreements on respecting social rights of migrants with Germany and Turkey.

In the context, the head of the International Ogrnaisation for Migration Mission, Antonio Polosa, said that since 2001, the organization actively supports the government and civil society in our country to protect children affected directly or indirectly by the negative effects of migration. According to the official, over the years, the organization has assisted over 2,000 children trying to meet their individual needs, including: access to education, healthcare, legal and psychosocial support and family unity and various child protection measures.

At the same time, Polosa noted that about 40,000 children born in Moldova live in 30 countries. “They grow up in countries that is unlike Moldova, they often speak little or do not speak at all their native language, making it difficult to communication and relations with grandparents, cousins and childhood friends who have stayed home. Their social and cultural ties gradually erode until children no longer identify with their homeland”, the official said.

According to the consultant at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, Anastasia Zaharia, attending the competition were children aged 7-19, who presented 160 drawings.

The purpose of the contest was to ensure communication between the children and their parents abroad and authorities in order to see how they understood the phenomenon of migration, and the ministry as a public authority to translate their needs into policy documents and come up with new models of intervention.

Winners received diplomas and drawing sets.

(Reporter N. Roibu, editor A. Răileanu)