Main goal
Improving situation about youth integration in social life (especially youth in group of risk, persons with disabilities), in activities targeting social problems of Gagauzian and Transnistrian regions through Youth volunteers network as a tool of involving youth in the process of social development.
Project beneficiaries:
Direct :
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youth of Gagauzia and Transnistria at age of 16-25
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high school students (9th – 11th grade), professional school students, university students
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children, teenagers from group of risk(including persons with disabilities)
Indirect:
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population of Gagauzian Autonomy and Transnistria
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Partner NGOs, institutions
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Internet users
Conducted project activity 2008-2010:
Created 2 regional Volunteer Centers – in Comrat and in Tiraspol and one local Center in In Vulcaneshti
Training program for staff and peer-educators – TOT, 58 seminars and trainings;
Training program for youth( in territorial communities) –788 informational sessions in Gagauzia and in Transnistria;
2 surveys among youth population on the social problems in order to establish the level of information and responsiveness – 1723 respondents; The surveys were made by trained facilitators-volunteers from different rayons.
3 summer camps for volunteers – up-dating knowledge, training new peer-educators, leaders of volunteers groups, motivation, communication and sharing experience between Transnistrian and Gagauzian volunteers;
Youth social actions – 18 actions (in project were planned 8 actions).
Planning staff meetings
Weekly work staff sessions in regional Centers.
Common planning staff meetings with partner NGO ( 3 in Transnistria and 3 in Gagauzia)
Conferences for coordinators and managers on-line by Skype – once or twice a month - on Fridays at 1-2 p.m. about current work questions. Participants: leaders and coordinator of both regional Centers, executive directors of Interaction and PMWLFE and other specialists of Centers if it is in need..
During all period of project were conducted Consultations for beneficiaries once a week
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By psychologists;
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By Lawyer-consultant of Center;
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On team-building, planning events.
Recruiting Campaigns 2008-2009, 2009-2010
As a part of the recruiting campaign in Gagauzia and Transnistria 32 peer-to-peer educators were selected from Gagauzia and 13 – from Transnistria. Actually, as a result of recruiting events it was established a Network of 45 peer-to-peer educators over two regions of Moldova - Gagauzia and Transnistria.
During project period was organized more than 62 visits to educational institutions -schools, lyceums, colleges, Universities - in all of 26 territorial communities of Gagauzia (23 villages and 3 towns) and in 4 rayons of Transnistria (Slobozia, Dubasari, Grigoriopol and Tiraspol).
§ . Visit programs were: informational sessions, project presentation with distributing informational leaflets, posters; recruiting volunteers; creating teams of volunteers. At time of recruiting meetings it was a sharing of experience and best practices by “volunteers - veterans” of M-Liga (which were involved and successful in their activity from the very beginning of project), by Peace Corps volunteers and volunteers of Europeane Voluntary Service, which are working in M-Liga Centers.
Participants of meetings – directors and young teachers of educational institutions, students.
During the project were involved 175 volunteers in Gagauzia: 110 – girls, 65 – boys; 40 volunteers in Transnistria: 28 girls, 12 – boys; total – 215 people. Were organized 58 trainings and seminars for volunteers in both regions (45 - in 2009 and – 13 in 2010) on various topics in aim to get new useful skills, to improving of volunteers qualification.
Recruiting campaign is continuing. There are 30 well-trained peer-educators in M-Liga Centers now (50 to 50 in both regions), they didn’t stop their work after finishing project (after 1st October 2010), In period of last two months October-November 2010 they conducted 34 informational sessions and took part in 5 youth social actions together with groups of volunteers (2 thematically discotheques, 2 flash-mobs against domestic violence, informational campaign to prevent drug addiction). Now they are preparing New Year events for social orphans and poor children from large families (in Tiraspol, Comrat, Vulcaneshti).
Summer camps
The aim – to learn how to conduct informational sessions “Domestic violence’, “Basis of conflict free communication”, “I have a right to know my right”, to exchange experience, present the plans for future, to increase team building, to create presentations and video clips in Power Point and Movie Maker format.
1. 20-24/08/09 Training course for updating knowledge of 45 peer-educators of M-Liga Network at place of Vulkaneshty rayon, village Etulia, Gagauzia.
2. 11-13/09/09 Training course for teaching new group of peer-educators from Gagausia, Vulkaneshty rayon, at place of village Etulia camp
3. 26-30/06/10 Training course for teaching and updating knowledge group of 45 peer-educators and leaders of villages volunteers groups, at place of Dubossari rayon, village Kochieri, Transnistria.
List of provided information campaigns:
More than 2100 persons participated in these campaigns
2009
“Prevention of spreading HIV/ AIDS” – in the center of Comrat (8 peer-educators, 8 members of staff, 11 volunteers) and in the central part of town Chadyr-Lunga ( 3 peer-educators, 6 volunteers). It was elaborated, printed and spread more than 600 leaflets and the same amount of brochures, given us by our partner NGO “Biaz gul”(“White rose”) acts in the area of prevention of spreading HIV/ AIDS.
PR-campaign “ We are at the distance of call” in Tiraspol. 14 peer-educators spread 800 leaflets and 100 posters, which were elaborated by members of staff.
“Be a volunteer in your community” - Presentation of Center of volunteers Youth League and promotion of voluntarism in Gagauzia region – more than 1100 schoolchildren, students, mass-media (3 TV companies and 2 radio companies, 4 newspapers) from 23 territorial communities got information about the project and activity of Center “M-Liga” at time of visits facilitators, coordinators, “M-Liga” volunteers to 57 educational institutions of Gagauzia. It was distributed leaflets, posters, press-releases
2010
“Prevention domestic violence and trafficking human beings” – 11 peer-educators spread 500 leaflets in the Vulcaneshti rayon and 7 volunteers spread 300 leaflets in the Comrat and Chadyr-Lunga rayon at time of visiting village schools and lyceums for their informational sessions. Leaflets were elaborated by members of staff.
“Stop violence” – at time of 2 day Festival of volunteers 20 volunteers of M-Liga from Gagauzia and Transnistria organized a flash mob with posters, street social theatre performance, spread 200 leaflets in the Comrat streets.
More than 2100 persons participated in these campaigns
Improving conditions for peer- educators of M-Liga Centers
There are 3 offices of M-Liga Network now: in Tiraspol, in Comrat, in Vulcaneshti (85 km far from Comrat to the South).
1-6 March 2010 – Arranging new training hall in Comrat in rented room at place of business center “Atrium”. Were created 2 teams of volunteers for arranging new training hall by furniture and equipment replaced from old room. By present time we have new training hall with better conditions for activity than old one additionally to the main office.
In September 2010 - Arranging new office “Club of volunteers “M-Liga - Vulcaneshti” in rented room at place of House of creativity for Children in town Vulcaneshti. There are 9 members (6-boys, 3-girls at age of 16-19) of “Club of volunteers “M-Liga - Vulcaneshti”. 4 of them work as a peer-educators, 5 volunteers are members of social theatre group.
Thankful their participation in last summer camp in Cochieri they have got skills to create video-clips on social themes and have taken part in Concurs of video-clips in prevention trafficking human beings (was arranged by International Organization of Migration, Kishinev).
Besides “Vulcaneshti club of M-Liga” 3 teams of volunteers from Transnistria branch of M-Liga Network have taken part in this Concurs of video-clips in prevention trafficking human beings. All 4 video-clips, presented by volunteers of our Network have been awarded prizes of International Organization of Migration.
Perspectives of project
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Sustainable Youth Network of peer-educators and groups of volunteers in Transnistria and Gagauzia;
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Active youth, available to take part in decision making and community development process.
Thankful to recommendations of coordinator Mr. Peter Staudacher and expert Mr.Bernhard Heeb the members of project staff have elaborated and presented to Caritas some proposals for “M-Liga” activity’s improvement for 2010 (all of them were implemented):
1) One day seminar “Social Partnership” in Comrat. Aim: improving dialog between the local officials and volunteers Network “Youth League” (“M-Liga”).
2) Two day seminar “Strategic planning”. Aim: creation of new Strategic Plan of organization PMWLFE for long term period (for 3 years, 2010-2012). Participants: members of staff, volunteers, social partners.
3) Two day trainings “Conflict management” in Tiraspol and in Comrat. Aim: improving conflict resolution, preventing future conflicts.
4) One day seminar “Sustainable development of network” in Comrat. Aim: long term planning for “Youth League” activity.
5) 5 one day seminars “Drug Addiction” in Comrat by initiative of peer-educators. Duration of seminars - 4 hours with coffee-break. Aim: involving youth in resolving drug problems in Gagauzia.
6) Instead of one day seminar “Working with Power Point and Movie Maker” it was 2 day trainings and Concourse of video clips (on 2 topics – prevention domestic violence and trafficking human beings) in the frame of summer camp activity for peer-educators and leaders of volunteers groups at place of Cochieri, Transnistria, June 2010. Aim: improving of staff’s qualification.
7) One day seminar in Comrat by volunteer of Peace Corps Miss Christine Sylvester “Creation of projects’ summary. Budgeting”. Aim: improving of staff’s qualification.
8) Creating Clubs of volunteers instead of groups of volunteers based on background of villages and towns, were these groups of volunteers work in partnership with social workers of local administration and other social actors of community. There are 4 Clubs of volunteers in Gagauzia now: in Comrat Pedagogical College, in Vulcaneshti, in village Congazchik, in Chadyr-Lunga (in theoretical lyceum).
Providing with occupations
Since 1st October 2010 we have began to create the database of jobs in both regions using the primary methods:
- creating the database of jobs (collecting, classifying and constant replenishment of information in country institutions about free paid job positions which can be suitable for volunteers; providing volunteer with opportunity to choose the job he is interested in)
- planning and organization of socially directed activities (social actions, sociological surveys, etc.)
We collaborate with Employment Agencies and Associations of entrepreneurs.
More than 12 our beneficiaries have got job and work now in various firms and institutions since January 2010.
Program “Collaboration. Partnership”
Since 1st October 2010 we have began to implement the program of developing collaboration and partnerships with local and abroad institutions.
1. Developing local partnerships
The primary methods of developing local partnerships are:
- Planning common activities with local authorities, state departments which deal with youth, marginalized groups of citizens;
- co-operating in planning process of activity for youth in educational institutions
- co-operating with social protection state and private institutions in job hunting for volunteers, in the process of creating database of vacant work places for volunteers.
Together with our social partners – team of NGO “INteraction”, Agency “Social aspect”, Council of Gagauzian NGOs and National Council of NGOs of Republic of Moldova, local administration - we initiate nowadays the program of developing civil society of Gagauzia and take part in the process of Strateic Planning for activity of the civil sector of Gagauzia for 2011-2013.
2. Developing abroad partnerships
The primary methods of developing abroad partnerships are:
- finding opportunities for volunteers to participate in foreign educational courses and seminars, in foreign volunteer programs;
- establishing partnerships with foreign volunteer centers for experience exchange;
- establishing partnerships with foreign nongovernmental, state and private institutions in job hunting for volunteers, for exchange of volunteers
For last 2 years we collaborate with Peace Corps volunteers, with volunteers from America of other programs, more than 1 year - with European Voluntary Service, with the international program Youth in Action by SALTO-Youth recourse Centers, we study the experience of Young Caritas. Our development coordinator is now in the Ukraine with mission to establish partnership with Ukrainian Rehabilitation Centers for disabled children, to share experience in work with volunteers, to exchange volunteers.
Important:
The project was implemented so successful thankful to efforts not only consortium of Moldavian partners but in close cooperation with social actors in both regions and especially with high experienced and professional coordinators and experts of Caritas Switzerland – very useful monitoring visits, communications by e-mail, phone, Skype.