A ludotheque or toy library – a play and positive socialization space where children can spend time effectively - was inaugurated inside the secondary school in Popeasca village of Ștefan Vodă district. The initiative is part of the emergency program for Ukraine and neighboring countries, financed by the Italian Cooperation, worth a total of €46.5 million, of which €6.5 million is intended specifically for Moldova, IPN reports.

The opening of the ludotheque, the first of the four scheduled, is the result of the “PACE: Protection, Hospitality, Culture, Education” program, funded by the Italian Cooperation with a contribution of €1.2 million and implemented by the organization “Amici dei Bambini”, in cooperation with the local partners Demos and the South Cooperation Center.

The initiative aims to support households (totaling over 14,000 people) through interventions aimed at strengthening school facilities, training teaching staff, improving access to social and health services, ensuring integration into the labor market and providing psychosocial support in Ștefan Vodă, Căușeni, Anenii Noi, Dondușeni, and Edineț districts of the Republic of Moldova.

Ștefan Vodă district, where the toy library was opened, is located a short distance from the Moldovan-Ukrainian border and has 5,617 students, of which 11% are of Ukrainian origin. The significant presence of children and young people from war zones made it necessary to implement measures to facilitate their integration into the local education system.

“The framework of bilateral relations is excellent. In close cooperation with the Moldovan Government, we are acting effectively and concretely in favor of the Moldovan population and the Ukrainian refugees it hosts. In this way, we also support the process of Moldova’s accession to the European Union,” Italy’s Ambassador to Moldova Lorenzo Tomassoni said at the inauguration ceremony.

The head of the Kiev Regional Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Pietro Pipi said that during summer, through the AICS project, a summer camp was organized with the participation of Ukrainian and Moldovan children, promoting, in full European spirit, a climate of integration and sharing between the two communities.

Over the past two and a half years, Italy has allocated €45 million to Moldova through the Italian Cooperation and the Migration Fund, through the agency of projects implemented in cooperation with various UN agencies, including UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP and IOM. Over the next three years, Italy will continue to support the country with an additional €45 million.