A National Volunteer Caravan will take place in Moldova between April 27 and May 7. The people from ten communities will be urged to be active, to promote different methods of community involvement and to inspire others to follow their example so as to bring a positive change in society.
Nicolae Procopie, acting executive director of the public association “Youth for the right to life” (TDV), which coordinates the event, has told IPN that this is an event aimed at promoting volunteering in regions that were less involved in civic activities through the agency of public, cultural and artistic events, with the aim of informing the people and inviting them to join the family of volunteers of Moldova.
The caravan has been staged for nine years, but there are yet districts that haven’t yet become involved. “If they do not take steps towards us, we decided to go to them ourselves. We think volunteering can change society. Only the human resources can promote the change and volunteering does this. Studies show volunteering contributes to reducing poverty. Volunteering supported by employers has even greater effects. The experts can volunteer as part of NGOs and this will help improve the quality of their work,” stated Nicolae Procopie.
The event is organized by the Coalition for Promoting Volunteering Law and Activities in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Moldova and is coordinated by the public association “Youth for the right to life” within the campaign “Europe for you”.
Contacted by IPN, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Victor Zubcu said the Ministry always supported the events that promote volunteering. From his viewpoint, volunteering is fundamental for building a participatory society, with civil society being vital for the country. The persons with experience of volunteer are better prepared for the jobs they choose.
During 11 days, a team consisting of three persons will travel along a route that includes nine towns and Cosnita village of Dubasari district. Different activities will be carried out daily with the assistance of the local partners. The campaign will set off from Cimislia town and will then travel through Stefan Voda (April 28), Anenii Noi (April 29), Cosnita (April 30), Sangerei (May 1), Balti (May 3), Edinet (May 4), Ungheni (May 5), Leova (May 6), and Cahul (May 7).
Local coordinator of the caravan in Cimislia, youth specialist Vadim Florea said a number of tents will be set up for the NGOs working in the region to present their services. There will be staged exhibitions and a cultural-artistic program, including a recital by a local band. A performance of dance will be then given on the occasion of the International Dance Day, while the local organizations will stage thematic events, including the Tricolor’s Day.
The event is held within the TDV project “Strengthening the human and financial resources for developing the civil society sector of Moldova, involved in volunteering activities”, which is supported by USAID within the Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society Project, which is implemented by FHI 360, and within the project “Volunteering for developing civil society of Moldova”, which is carried out by TDV in partnership with the Foundation for Education and Development of Civil Society (FERSO) of Poland, with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the Support for Democracy Program of the Solidarity Fund PL.
