The men take part in volunteering activities less than the women. Of the total number of persons who took part in the activities staged within the National Volunteering Week (NVW) during October 2-8, the men represented only 27%. Half of the participating volunteers became involved for the first time.

Sociologist Veaceslav Batranescu, in a news conference at IPN, said such a study was commissioned by the Association “Young People for the Right to Life” and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research. The research showed many persons became involved in the activities of the NVW by donating money and tools used by volunteers in community work. On average, a volunteer worked for five hours. Overall, the volunteers worked together over 100,000 hours. The volunteers took an active part in the NVW in order to be useful, to develop skills and to learn more about the problems faced by communities.

Being an active citizen in the Republic of Moldova means helping someone in need. It is a possibility to show that particular things can be done without money. The participation in such activities enables to gain working experience in a particular area. The volunteers share these convictions. “Volunteering develops initiative, team work, discipline, creativity, diligence and courage,” stated Veaceslav Batranescu.

The number of those who became involved in the activities staged during the National Volunteering Week increased to over 22,000 from 1,638 in 2014. The works done by volunteers involved in the NVW activities during October 2-8 were assessed at almost 1.5 million lei. There were three national coordinators in 2013, but this year 34 coordinators managed the volunteering activities in districts. The number of organized activities rose from 371 four years ago to 1,099.