UNDP project “Better opportunities for youth and women” has been assigned winner of international contest

The project “Better opportunities for youth and women,” implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from Moldova and financed by the US and Romanian governments, was assigned among the first 6 best social projects at the world-scale contest organized by the UNDP’s Special Unity for Cooperation South–South, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a release aired by UNDP, over 60 organizations from over 30 countries took part in the contest. The project “Better opportunities for youth and women” was assigned as a winner alongside with other 6 organizations which participated in the contests. The jury has chosen the finalists on the basis of several selection criteria, among which: the innovation aspect, ensuring sustainability, combating poverty and social marginalization, combating human trafficking, economic integration. “The offered distinction is a great honor for us and it represents recognizing the contribution and efforts made by our team for diminishing social marginalization of the vulnerable people from Moldova,” Viorel Albu, the project’s manager stated. “This distinction is an opportunity to congratulate all the national partners and donors, for this success and to urge them to go on promoting good practices and to gather our efforts so that Moldova become a prosperous country,” Kaarina Immonen, the UN resident coordinator to Moldova. The project promotes diminishing vulnerability of some social classes disfavored against such negative social phenomena as domestic violence and physical abuse, abandonment, unemployment, criminality and drug abuse. Thus, 9 centers of social reintegration offering housing for the graduates of boarding schools – orphans, mothers with children and pregnant women in situation of risk or crisis have been created. The centers also offer psycho-social conciliation, developing abilities of independent life, activities mediating and facilitating the access of beneficiaries on the work market, etc. Up to present, 4136 socially vulnerable persons have benefited from the services of the centers of social reintegration, including 992 young people who were instructed professionally, and 642 – have been employed. The project participated in creating 7 social companies and 131 new jobs. Partnership relations with 25 private companies have been established.