More than 125 children with disabilities from four districts from both sides of the Nistru River and from the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia will benefit from social inclusion and homecare social services within a project financed by the European Union and implemented by Keystone Moldova in partnership with the Alliance of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities and the Rehabilitation and Consultancy Center “OSORC”. The project makes it possible to set up five mobile teams and a day center that will help women and children with disabilities remain in the family and not to be institutionalized.
Keystone Moldova executive director Ludmila Malcoci has told IPN that the project is a follow-up to another project implemented by Keystone with EU funding in another five districts. The project launched in Chisinau on January 18 is extended to Causeni and Stefan Voda districts, to Gagauzia and the Transnistrian districts Grigoriopol and Slobozia.
“While implementing mobile team services, it was established that these are sustainable and help prevent the institutionalization of persons with disabilities. Moreover, these services are three times cheaper than the institutionalization and maintaining of a child with disabilities in the system. These services are provided in isolated communities where there are practically no social services,” said Ludmila Malcoci.
She added that the results are very good and practically no child of those served by mobile teams was taken to residential institutions. They were enrolled in kindergarten and school and have very good results. Mobile team services are provided for a period of six months. The service can be later extended or new persons are selected for being offered assistance. A mobile team serves 25 persons simultaneously. The beneficiaries are chosen by social workers who know the needs of everyone. Such services were created in 19 districts already.
Nina Balica, head of the mobile team social service in Ialoveni district, said the service consists in the assessment of the needs of each beneficiary. The team includes a kineto-therapist, a psychologist and a logopedist. Based on a plan of action with the families, they are trained how to help the child integrate into society. The major goal is to enable the child to remain in the family and to develop social skills.
Ekaterina Dorodnova, adviser at the EU Delegation to Moldova, said by this project the European Union contributes to developing social protection and ensuring the observance of the rights of persons with disabilities. The project forms part of the Support to Confidence Building Measures Program whose goal is to help peacefully resolve the Transnistrian dispute and build confidence.
The project “Social services intended for persons with disabilities for supporting the measures to promote confidence between both sides of the Nistru” has a budget of €560,000, 80% of which is provided by the EU in the form of a grant, while 20% represents the contribution of the implementation partners and the Swedish Development Partner (SOIR).
In 2012-2014, Keystone Moldova, with the support of the EU and Soros Foundation Moldova, assisted the local authorities of 16 districts in developing mobile team services. Fifteen such services were accredited and annually offer support to more than 600 children and grownups with disabilities.
