September 14, 2016 Moldova

How did children from Bendery enjoy their summer holiday?

From all the population groups in Moldova, the most severely affected by the unstable economic situation in the country are children who live in incomplete, dysfunctional or socially weak families. In Bendery, one of Moldovan cities, a day centre has been active for thirteen years, whose aim is to protect the rights and interests of children and youth, develop their skills, and prepare them to be independent. Besides this, the centre’s staff tries to ensure that the children enjoy the summer.

The children who come to the centre are those who do not have an easy life and who easily fall victim to negative social phenomena. Many of these children lack psychological support from their families – they find such support among the centre’s staff.

Thanks to their participation in the programme, the children grow in self-confidence and, gradually, become more decisive, open-minded and able to communicate with people around them. They learn to view life in a positive light, to understand social rules, tolerance, respect and love, and to feel as members of a group. They also learn they like and what they would like to do later in life.

The children can choose from a range of activities offered by the centre. For instance, they can attend classes on Christian ethics or on various creative arts (sewing, painting, carpentry, etc.). In addition, all children get a warm lunch when they come to school, which significantly improves their health, as well as mental condition – not all families can afford to pay for children’s school lunches.

Undoubtedly, a summer camp, which lasts almost the whole summer, is one of the most popular activities among the children. The children start looking forward to it well before it starts: to swim  in a swimming pool, go  to a  cinema, and on  various trips. This year, the children from Bendery had the  opportunity to go to  a swimming pool two to three times a week during the summer, where they could sunbathe, have  a swim in cold water to boost their immunity, and play  around water slides. Some of them even learned how to swim for the very first time. The children also thoroughly enjoyed their times at the cinema and  pizzeria. During the summer holiday, three meals a day were provided to the children.

In the Fall , the children from Bendery will have a chance to take part in interesting excursions. Young volunteers from the neighbouring villages are helping with the preparations. For these volunteers, the work in the centre represents a meaningful way how to spend their free time, and it gives them a sense of personal fulfilment.

The day-centre is partially supported by the Three Kings Collection of Caritas CR.