A program of assistance for youth centers and councils was launched in Chisinau to strengthen institutional capacities so as to enable the youth services to develop and expand, IPN reports.

Attending the launch, mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban said the investment of the local public administration in the youth sector is aimed at ensuring more possibilities for this category of citizens to develop multilaterally, to take part in different types of activities, to become involved in building participatory and healthy society.

Petru Grecu, director of the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center, said the goal is to increase the number of persons involved in different personal development programs, to engage young people in the decision-making process and those with reduced possibilities in youth activities.

The newly launched program is aimed at creating youth centers in all the districts of the municipality of Chisinau and at empowering youth workers from all these centers. An objective is to organize the program of grants for Youth Centers of the municipality of Chisinau.

As part of the program, five local youth councils in the districts of Chinua will be created and/or empowered. There will also be created or empowered ten youth councils in suburban settlements.

The local public authorities, suburban mayor’s offices and district head’s offices of Chisinau will become part of the program after they sign a cooperation agreement with the General Division of Education, Youth and Sport by which they will receive the necessary support.

Currently, the young people in Chisinau benefit from free services at the Chisinau Municipal Youth Center and also from the volunteerism and participation service, personal development and leisure time animation service, career guidance and orientation service, youth information service and from psychological counseling.