Republic of Moldova

MIGRATION PHENOMENON AS REPRESENTED BY THE CIVIL SOCIETY AND STATE AUTHORITIES

28.06.10
A group of experts in the field of migration and state officials have meet to discuss and analyze the issue of migration, in order to find solutions for an improved life of multigenerational households, where grandparents care for children, whose parents work abroad. The session was held within the IVth meeting of the Project Advisory Group, established in the framework of the project “Strengthening community-based support to multigenerational households left behind by migration in Moldova”, implemented in consortium with Second Breath and HelpAge International, and funded by the Joint Migration and Development Initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations.

The IVth meeting of the Project Advisory Group (PAG) gathered representatives of 10 implementing NGOs, state institutions, international agencies and the team of the project. The meeting aimed to evaluate the results at the project mid-term and to elaborate recommendations for the further implementation of programme activities.

„The Project Advisory Group was established to contribute to an improved awareness of target audiences about the needs and issues of vulnerable older persons caring for children in the context of high level of poverty and migration in Moldova and to find appropriate solutions to the problems of multigenerational households. The Group meets quarterly to consult the project team in the course of project implementation and to disseminate the results of the project among state institutions”, said Dina Sava, Project Officer. 

The participants of the IVth meeting of PAG discussed the results of the first round of demonstration activities, organized with participation of older persons and children, also the planning of the second round of demo-activities and home visits to project beneficiaries, vulnerable multigenerational household, and at the same time, evaluated the project results at mid-way point. In 6 months, ten implementing organisations held demo-activities together with the grandparents and children, such as: grandparents’ schools, discussion clubs, social theatres, sport contests, handcraft activities, excursions etc. „These activities bring closer children to their grandparents, they stimulate mutual respect and offer possibilities to spend time together. More than that, project activities have brought us, NGO members, closer to Social Assistants from the town, as well as to public authority officials, and made us better understand the issues of vulnerable multigenerational households” said Valentina Micotina, the Director of NGO „Vdohnovenie” from Comrat town. In most of the regions the project established a close cooperation with the schools, kindergartens and Social Assistance Departments. The grandparents caring for children of migrant parents have realized they lack psychological consultancy and moral support, as many schools where the project operates don’t have a psychologist”.

Representatives of state institutions and international agencies identified in an interactive discussion the expectations from the project, and made recommendations on how these can contribute to policy elaboration or policy change in the area of migration, in order to improve the situation of families of migrants. The main focus was put on consolidation of information about migration policies that will ensure the society knows and understands the risks of illegal migration and is widely informed about the possibilities of legal migration.

The work group brainstormed around the legal framework regarding migration in the Republic of Moldova and the way the project can contribute to improve it of produce positive changes. „The experts and participants recognized that existing policies are comprehensive and it is necessary to observe their stipulations and to set up an efficient mechanism for their implementation and monitoring rather than spending time introducing new and changing existing policies on migration. The project registered violations of current laws, like refusal to provide meals for primary school children whose parents work abroad or offering the social benefit to vulnerable families that have migrant members. Taking into account that the form of social protection applied to children left in the care of grandparents is the guardianship, it is necessary to simplify the procedure of obtaining such guardianship. At the same time, state authorities encouraged civil society representatives to lobby the local public authorities in order to support multigenerational households and to promote the law regarding social services. Local actors can replicate the method applied by the project to support vulnerable multigenerational household through regular home visits. During the home visits the target group benefits of consultancy, moral support, information sharing and the volunteers monitor the changes during the project period on the realization of the rights of these households. In the framework of the project 613 households with grandparents and children benefit of monthly home visits made by 264 older people volunteers, for a 12 months period”, added Dina Sava.         

Members of PAG are representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Social Protection and Family (including Department of Migration Policies, former department of the Ministry of Economy, the National Referral System, Department of Protection of Family and Child’s Rights), Municipal Department for Protection of Child’s Rights, Ministry of Education, International Organisation for Migration, UNICEF Moldova, UNDP Moldova and representatives of 10 implementing organisations along with the project team.

The project “Strengthening community-based support to multigenerational households left behind by migration in Moldova” is implemented in consortium with Second Breath and HelpAge International, and funded by the Joint Migration and Development Initiative of the European Commission and the United Nations. The project is implemented in 10 regions from Moldova: Satul Nou/Cimislia, Cazangic/Leova, Carabetovca/Basarabeasca, Manta Pascani/Cahul, Lapusna/Hancesti, Trinca and Corjeuti/ Edinet, and the towns Ialoveni, Comrat, Orhei and Balti. The project objective is to protect the rights of families of migrants in Moldova through increasing the capacity of older people, NGOs that work with older people and state authorities to support multigenerational households. The target group of project beneficiaries is 613 multigenerational households, where older people are the heads of the households, take care and educate the grandchildren whose parents have left to work abroad.   

Contact person: Irina Lazur, Communication and Information Coordinator, tel. 232523, e-mail: irina.lazur@undp.org or Dina Sava, Project Officer, Second Breath/HelpAge International, tel: 225098, fax: 224672