Cahul Contact Centre declared as best volunteer-promoting NGO

The Cahul-based Regional Centre Contact was named as the most active volunteer-promoting NGO in Moldova and winner of the 5th edition of the Festival of Volunteers. The annual festival aims at recognising the merits of the most active volunteers, efforts of the non-government organisations in promoting volunteering, in particular in Moldova. Silvia Strelciuc, chairwoman of the Contact Cahul Centre, says that the award brings joy to volunteers, as well as a big responsibility and stimulation for their future activities. The Regional Centre Contact Cahul implements activities through its volunteering programme for the third year in row. The programme has no financial coverage and all its activities are funded from the resources collected by the community volunteers. The centre brings together 54 volunteers with a firm will to get involved in the community life and in finding solutions to the problems of the people in need. Since 2007, the group of volunteers has an official name – “ProMisiuneVoluntariat.” In addition, a field-work and assistance patrol named “Scheia” group was set up at the beginning of 2007. Since inception, the group of volunteers from the Contact Cahul Centre has implemented several socially useful and charity activities. In 2007, the volunteers initiated and held a fund-raising campaign, “Daruieste un Zambet” (Gift a Smile), which collected about 5,000 dollars, used to assist the elderly people. Volunteers organised charity actions for a home for seniors in Alexandru Ioan Cuza village, promoted volunteering at the Job Fair for Youths in Cahul, disseminated information on the European Union and participated in the cultural action “Hora Europei” 2007. In June 2007, on the International Day of Children, volunteers organised entertainment activities for children at the Cahul-based Day Centre for persons with physical and mental disabilities. Also, volunteers participated in different summer camps together with children with difficulties from the Day Centre, supporting and assisting them. The Cahul City Hall awarded the group of volunteers and the “Scheia” group from Contact Cahul for the environmental action “Tinerii in Lumea Contemporana” (Youths in the Contemporary World), dedicated to the 2007 National Day of Youth in Moldova. The Contact Cahul Centre participated in the Festival of Volunteers and Fair of Volunteers in Moldova for the third year in row. The Festival of Volunteers – 2007 was organised by the Service for Peace (SPP), National Council of Youth in Moldova (CNTM), “Youths for the right to life” (TDV), US Peace Corps in Moldova, “Children’s Friends” Association and the Organisation for International Development “World Wide Aid & Cooperation”, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Youth and the Chisinau Department for Education, Youth and Sports. The action is part of the activities held by the Coalition for the promotion of legislation and volunteering activities.