The persons with severe intellectual, psychosocial and motor disabilities, the homeless persons and particular categories of elderly persons from Ungheni district benefit from basic personal hygiene services. The social care service started work last summer, but was inaugurated officially on January 24 this year. It is developed by the Public Association “Social Alternatives” in partnership with the Ungheni District Council, with financial support from the European Union and with co-financing from Soros Foundation Moldova, IPN reports.
An area of the Social Rehabilitant and Integration Center located in the municipality of Ungheni was renovated and outfitted with equipment and furniture as part of the project. A minibus was bought for transporting beneficiaries from the localities of Ungheni district.
The social care service can cover about 40 persons each month. Over 240 grownups and children received services in August – November 2019. For the persons to benefit from long-term assistance, the service can be integrated into the day services of the Social Rehabilitant and Integration Center of the municipality of Ungheni.
According to Andrei Chiorescu, project director at the Public Association “Social Alternatives”, the project ensures the provision of personal hygiene services for persons with disabilities, elderly people and persons with limited living and self-care conditions. The persons eligible for the provided services are identified in cooperation with community social assistants.
Ambassador Peter Michalko, Head of the EU Delegation in Chisinau, assured that the EU will continue to allocate financial resources for creating and developing social services in Moldova. “During the next few years, we will implement social canteen and repair services and will outfit centers for children and elderly people. I’m sure that this service will be undertaken by the local public authorities as it is to the benefit of the citizens of Ungheni district,” stated the diplomat.
According to Petru Culeac, executive director of Soros Foundation Moldova, the success of the project is due to the fact that all the local players are motivated to bring about a change in the district. “We hope to see initiatives that would diminish social exclusion and isolation of persons with severe disabilities and elderly people in difficulty in other regions too,” he said.
The “Social Ambulance” project is implemented with funds provided by the EU in the farmworker of the project “Better Social Services through a Sustainable Partnership between Civil Society and the Government”. The total value of the project is over €54,000.
