Moldovan PM reiterates government's commitment to back young people

Chisinau, 19 April /MOLDPRES/ - Tens of teenagers and young people with ages between 14 and 25 years daily attend the young centre from the southern Cimislia town. During a visit to this settlement, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita met young people at a workshop of therapy through art, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.  

„Thus, young people express their emotions through drawing, which helps them overcome some states of anxiety and improve their mental health,’’ the institution’s manager, Irina Josu, said. At the same time, the centre provides to young people services of documentation, of animating the free time, as well as volunteering activities, through their involvement in community development programmes, which contributes to the enhancement of the degree of responsibility and civic activism.    

Starting from 24 February, with the unleashing of the war in Ukraine, the centre has been providing services to women with children and young people refugees, accommodated at placement centres from the Cimislia town. Also, one of the institution’s beneficiaries, Marina Cobileanschi, a pupil of the 12th form, provides free of charge services to refugees to study the English language.   

PM Natalia Gavrilita appreciated the effort of the local public authorities, development partners and civil society to support the development of young people, noting that the government had recently launched a string of measures to back the young generation.

„The most profitable of the investments is the one in children and young people, as they represent the future and continuity of Moldova’s development. Therefore, the investments in supporting young people must represent a commitment both of the central public authorities and of the local ones. The government will continue backing the programmes dedicated to young people; we will help them develop businesses and edify a prosperous future here, in Moldova,’’ the prime minister said.    

Natalia Gavrilita also informed about a grant call for young people willing to start a business, launched by the cabinet in partnership with the Organization for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Sector Development (ODIMM). The maximal value of a grant provided by the state is of 180,000 lei and youth centres can be among beneficiaries as well. Also, following the rectification of the budget for this year, the government allocated additionally 10 million lei for providing cultural vouchers for youth.   

The Cimislia district youth centre was founded by the Cimislia district council and is financed through the Education and Research Ministry, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).  

„I want to reiterate UNFPA’s commitment to further back the network of youth centres from Moldova. We will invest, in continuation, in the potential of young people’s participation, their civic spirit and mobilization for Moldova’s development,’’ UNFPA Resident Representative in Moldova Nigina Abaszada said.  

The network of youth centres has over 44 institutions in all regions of Moldova, where about 30,000 young people annually come.

Photo: Government