Republic of Moldova

CHILDREN AND GRANDPARENTS FROM COMRAT TOWN – ACTORS OF A SOCIAL THEATRE

Chişinău, 11 May 2010 – The children whose parents are working abroad and the grandparents who look after these children from Comrat town felt themselves real actors on the stage of the Social Theatre during a performance entitled „My family”. The play, staged in school no.7 from Comrat town, aimed at reducing the negative impact of migration upon family members left behind and strengthening relationships between generations.

The performance included several short plays reflecting children’s behavior in the family, grandparents who take care of their grandchildren and migration’s negative influence. The children recited poems dedicated to their families and mothers, and a children’s choir sang three songs about mother. At the end of the show, the children discussed with the public about the importance of family and their wish to grow alongside with mother and father, who could work here, in their native country, and not abroad.

The performance „My family” represents one of the activities foreseen by the project “Strengthening community-based support to multi-generational households left behind by migration in Moldova”, implemented in consortium by Second Breath and HelpAge International, and assisted financially by the EU-UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative.

Previously, the event organizers donated one TV set and one DVD player for each of the 10 schools, including school no. 7 from Comrat. The school administration has mentioned the technique is successfully used during discussion clubs and social theatre, as well as other project activities, which have already become a tradition within this institution. Also, the beneficiaries have the possibility to use telephone cards provided by the project for discussing with relatives from abroad.

The Social Theatre followed immediately after an exhibition of children’s drawings on the topic of migration. The best six drawings were awarded by the NGO organizing the event and School Committee. The contest winners and participants received sweets and stationery as gifts.

The involvement of grandparents and grandchildren in the Social Theatre aims at strengthening relationships between generations and diminishing the negative impact resulted from parents’ migration upon the family members left behind. The performance has a social character. Once presented to the public, it strives to approach the existent problem in the society and jointly identify solutions to settle it. It represents a successful dovetailing of role-play, involvement of younger and elder generations in the social life for ensuring a closer communication between them.

For contact: Doina Munteanu, Portfolio Manager Civil Society and Transnistria, tel.: 220218, doina.munteanu@undp.org or Irina Lazur, Information and Communication Coordinator, tel. 232523, e-mail: irina.lazur@undp.org

***

The European Commission-United Nations Joint Migration and Development Initiative (JMDI) reflects the acceptance of and growing interest in the strong links between migration and development. The programme is implemented by the UNDP Brussels Office in partnership with the EC. Four agencies - UNHCR, UNFPA, ILO and IOM - are directly engaged in the management and direction of the programme and contribute their institutional knowledge, expertise and extensive networks to ensure its success.