Republic of Moldova

UNDP and Orange Foundation Join Efforts to Help Children with Disabilities

Chisinau, March 22, 2011 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Orange Foundation in Moldova donated today a minibus with wheelchair access to the Republican Rehabilitation Centre for Children in Chisinau.

The minibus has lifting wheelchairs which are accessible from the rear door and 11 seats, including four seats for children with locomotor disabilities. Its cost of 40,000 Euro was covered by the Orange Foundation in Moldova in the framework of UNDP’s Public-Private Partnership Development project.

“It’s a privilege to be able to help the Republican Rehabilitation Centre for Children who is doing a wonderful job to help children with special needs”, said Kaarina Immonen, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova at the donation ceremony. “The minibus we are donating today is the latest example of a long successful partnership with Orange in Moldova wherein together we help people and children with disabilities have better access to health care and social life”, she said.

The Republican Rehabilitation Centre for Children provides health and psychological care to children with psycho-neurological and physical disabilities. It daily hosts about 100 children, aged from 1 month to 17 years old. The minibus with wheelchair access, provided by UNDP and Orange Foundation in Moldova, will transport children with disabilities, in particular those from vulnerable families, to the Centre for health care and treatment. Also children from the Centre will now have the opportunity to attend various social events such as theatre, cinema and excursions.

”Orange Foundation in Moldova has been supporting the Republican Rehabilitation Centre for Children over the past two years as part of our projects to support children with disabilities from various institutions in the country”, said Liudmila Climoc, General Director of Orange Moldova, member of the Board of Orange Foundation in Moldova. “Today’s event is another step in developing these projects, strengthening our role as a socially responsible player”, she added.

The donation of the minibus with wheelchair access is part of a series of public-private initiatives wherein the UN and businesses promote social responsibility and involvement of private sector in addressing social issues in Moldova. As part of the cooperation between the UN and Orange Moldova Foundation, an ambulance and a tomographer have been donated to the emergency hospital in the northern town of Lipcani and respectively to the Institute of Neurology and Neusurgery in Chisinau.

Media contacts:
UNDP Moldova
Ludmila Tiganu, Communications Specialist
Tel: 269 112
E-mail: ludmila.tiganu@undp.org

Orange Foundation Moldova
Ludmila Buzulan, CSR Projects Coordinator
Tel: 575 771
E-mail: ludmila.buzulan@orange.md

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners. More about UNDP at http://www.undp.org and www.undp.md

Orange Moldova Foundation is part of the Orange Foundation network which works in many world countries and aims to contribute to social issues in three key areas: health and people with disabilities, education and culture. More about Orange Moldova Foundation at http://fundatia.orange.md