More than 6,000 hearing- and speech-impaired and mentally disabled children from the municipality of Chisinau for over three years have performed on the stage within the creativity festival for children with multiple disabilities “Life together” that is held by the Chisinau public association VITA.

Contacted by IPN, the organization’s executive director Marina Staris said the project is supported exclusively with volunteers’ donations. The festival brings together children from 12 specialized institutions of Chisinau – six schools and six kindergartens. After the festival’s theme is decided, in September – November the children are trained. A preselection for the final stage is held in November, which is a talents concert in fact.

Within the projects, there are formed duos between children with disabilities and national artists. The winners represent the country at an international festival in Russia.

The creativity festival for children with multiple disabilities “Life together” is among the finalists of the ERSTE Foundation Award for Social Integration 2013. The award is given once in two years for social integration projects from 13 European countries. As many as 1,988 projects took part in the 2013 edition.