Center for street children opens in Cahul

The doors of the Center for Street Children “Speranta” (Hope) have opened for the first time on Friday, July 3. Aimed at counteracting the problems street children face by providing protection measures and promoting child participation in the social life of their community, the Center Hope is intended to be a safe haven for street children, the center said in a press release. The Center was opened by the mayor's administration of Cahul (Moldova) and the mayor's administration of Carmagnola municipality (Italy), in partnership with the NGO “Impuls” (Cahul) and the International Organization for Migration, Mission in Moldova (IOM Moldova). The Hope Center provides a friendly and favorable atmosphere, where street children will be able to develop their life skills for social integration, giving them the necessary abilities to find their path in life. The creation of such a Center is an appeal for collaboration among all responsible authorities and civil society organizations, at both national and local levels, to draw attention to the problems vulnerable children face and to join efforts in addressing them. The Center is located in a former kindergarten, which was fully renovated and equipped through the financial support of the Carmagnola municipality, and is now able to provide temporary shelter for 20 street children.