Grants Total: $14 500 (Winter Bazaar)
The grants committee received nearly 35 applications from organizations throughout Moldova. In making its decision, members tried to select projects that serve a diverse group of beneficiaries, while focusing on the most economically and socially vulnerable citizens. Grantees represent local organizations that are addressing some of the most pressing problems facing Moldovan society’s health and primary education.
1. The Speranta Day Center from Chisinau: a center for social integration and rehabilitation which provides services to handicaped children and their families. IWCM will provide assistance in one of Speranta’s services, the Saturday Club, which helps handicapped children and their parents to get to know each other better and to interact with the help of games, discussions and activities. The goal is to prepare children with special needs for social reintegration.
2. The kindergarten in Lunga village, in the Floresti region, located in the unused area of the local secondary school. This unused area has to be rebuilt according to certain sanitary/ construction/ security/etc. requirements. The village has not had a functioning kindergarten for the last 20 years. IWCM provided funds for the necessary furniture and kitchen appliances to have the kindergarten opened for one group of 25 children, 3 to 5 years old. The mayor of Lunga village, Mrs. Burduja, has been investing a lot of efforts to reach the goal of a fully-equipped and functioning kindergarten for 75 children and to keep it functioning.
3. Renastere Center in Chisinau: the project aims to provide good treatment, education and help to handicapped children assisting them in making new friends through Renastere.A IWCM is providing assistance in purchasing much needed modern special rehabilitation equipment for the handicapped children at the Center.
Grants Total: $16 000 (Night of Art)
The Association of Adoptive Parents of Moldova, located in Ungheni: an education and advocacy campaign to increase awareness about the need for and benefits of Moldovan families adopting Moldovan children.
GLOW (Girls Lead Our World) Summer Camp: a new counselor-in-training program, where 10 alumnae of prior camps will be trained to serve as part of this year’s team of camp counselors.
Mihaela Center located in the village of Criuleni: the purchase of equipment and supplies for the expansion of their successful program model which combines sports and games with arts activities and other creative learning opportunities for children who would otherwise be unsupervised during the summer months and beyond.
Ecou XXI is a new NGO established in 2006 in the village of Tvarditsa: Arts and Atelier program for at-risk primary schoolchildren with the greatest economic and social needs.
