NGOs protecting the rights of the elderly request the adoption of the National Strategy on Ageing

Thirteen non-governmental organisations consolidated in a national network dealing with the protection of human rights of the elderly have suggested that the Government should adopt and implement the National Strategy on Ageing. Irina Baicalov, president of the NGO “Respiratia a Doua” (The Second Breath) from Balti, told a press conference that the document was worked out as part of the project “Consolidation of the civil society network to reduce poverty and social exclusion of aged persons in Moldova”, financed by the European Union and currently examined by the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child. Moldova is in need of a National Strategy on Ageing, given that nowadays the ratio of workers and retired persons is 1:2, and aging trends will persist in the next few years. The Strategy seeks on one side the preparation of people for retirement, and on another to establish mechanisms of efficient usage of the experience of aging people in our society, their professional re-qualification. According to the vice-president of the Republican Association of third age persons, “Bunatate”, Valeriu Cernei, individuals in the third age group are useful in several domains, especially in education, health care and agriculture – for consultation purposes. The need for specialists in today’s market, even retired people is on the increase, due to the fact that a lot of younger people choose to leave the country. The President of the Association of Veterans from Ialoveni, Valentina Carchelan, says that the integration of older people into the labour market represents the only opportunity to ensure, where possibilities allow, a decent living. The allocated financial resources do not allow pensioners in Moldova to do what the retired people in other countries usually do - spend their retirement period travelling or getting involved in activities that keep them close to the society.