The number of persons who become involved in activities organized within the National Volunteer Week increases annually. Up to 2,000 volunteers were involved in such activities in 2014, while in 2018 the figure rose to 60,000. The cost of labor of the volunteers involved in the National Volunteer Week during October 1-7 comes to over 2 million lei. The results were summed up in a news conference at IPN on October 23.
According to Andrei Gaiu, executive director of the public association “Youth for the Right to Life”, there were three national coordinators in 2013, but this year the volunteer activity in districts was managed by 37 coordinators. Over 2,000 activities and about 3,000 events were staged all over the country this year. The volunteers in Drochia, Ungheni, Briceni, Rezina and Bălți were the most active ones. The number of activities carried out in Gagauzia also rose. Seven activities were performed in the region last year, but this year the figure stands at 34. About 270,000 persons benefited from volunteer work directly or indirectly as part of the National Volunteer Week.
Antoniţa Fonari, director of the Platform for Active Citizenship and Human Rights Partnership, which is a member of the Coalition for the Promotion of Volunteering Law and Activities, said that despite the hard times, the people want to do something useful for their communities. “Starting with this year, we could promote such actions as encouragement of volunteering and development of civic engagement as duties for employees of the public administration, at the level of public policy, as these really do such things,” noted Antonița Fonari.
Carina Eni, senior consultant at the Youth Division of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, said the National Volunteer Week is supported through the Ministry’s program of grants for youth organizations, while the project contributes to strengthening and developing voluntarism. A number of 145 organizations hosting volunteering have been certified and over 1,628 volunteer cards were issued.
National Volunteer Week coordinator in Drochia Vera Flocea said the volunteering activities are the best education method as they enable the people to better know themselves and to develop as upright personalities.
National Volunteer Week coordinator in Comrat Antonina Volkova, executive director of the public association “Vesta” of Comrat, said the volunteering sector has developed in Gagauzia. More local coordinators became involved this year and good cooperation relations were established with the local authorities.
The National Volunteer Week is organized by the public association “Youth for the Right to Life” with the support of the Project “NVW 2018 – Join Volunteers” of the annual program of grants for youth organizations of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.
