Republic of Moldova

EUROPEAN UNION CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REHABILITATION CENTER NETWORK FOR DISABLED CHILDREN FROM REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND TRANSNISTRIAN REGION

Chişinău, 6 May 2010 – Experts in the sector of social services development for disabled children claim that, at present, these services in Republic of Moldova and Transnistrian have developed unevenly. This area lacks a system of establishing rehabilitation center networks, grounded on cooperation, sharing of knowledge and experience among such specialized centers.

A first step to solve this problem was taken by Hilfswerk Austria Representative in R. Moldova in partnership with Children’s Fund from Dubăsari „Iaroslav”, by commencing a series of practical seminars for employees of day-care centers for disabled children and youth in R. Moldova and Transnistrian region on the topic „Infantile cerebral paralysis and rehabilitation methods”. Thematic training sessions and experience sharing for staff of day-care rehabilitation centers in R. Moldova and Transnistrian regions stand for one of the activities foreseen by the project „Rehabilitation centers network development for disabled children”, unfolded within the program „Support to Confidence Building Measures”, financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.

The sharing of experience seeks to inform the participants about the notions and practical methods for rehabilitation of children suffering from infantile cerebral paralysis (ICP). During the first seminar, the participants visited the kineto-therapy room from school no. 120 from Chisinau (institution attended by children with special needs), assisted during the demonstration of physical rehabilitation methods for children suffering from ICP (examples of children with various forms and degrees of severity were introduced) and documented themselves about several specific cases of becoming sick with the concerned illnesses. Mariana Jalbă, specialist in ICP, and the kineto-therapist Veronica Andronache („Speranta” Day-Care Center) served as trainers at the seminar.

The need for implementing the project regarding children’s rehabilitation centers network development results from the fact that the sector of social services for disabled children developed irregularly and unevenly in R.Moldova and Transnistrian region. This area lacks cooperation, sharing of knowledge and experience among such specialized centers. In this context, the project aims at strengthening cooperation by means of granting educational assistance to main social services providers from both sides of the Dniester river, in the view of developing and maintaining a viable network, grounded on new social services development projects.

For contact: Victor Munteanu, UNDP Moldova Project Manager, tel. 260786, e-mail: victor.munteanu@undp.org or Irina Lazur, Communication and Information Coordinator, tel. 232523, e-mail: irina.lazur@undp.org

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The project “Support to Confidence Building Measures” aims to address the needs of Transnistrian communities including the security zone by increasing their access to basic social and economic services, as well as to objective and diversified sources of information. The establishment of cross-river partnerships will be supported, creating parallel opportunities for stakeholders from both sides to interact, thereby promoting economic cooperation and contributing towards confidence building among the actors and the population at large. The project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.