The CONTACT Center, in partnership with Giz, has provided financial support to eight NGOs, including AO “Women in Business” in Ceadir-Lunga, to carry out local activities aimed at supporting the community. One such initiative was the organization of a Sports Tourism School for 30 children from Moldovan and Ukrainian refugee families living in Ceadir-Lunga. The children went on excursions, visited interesting places, and learned to cope with nature. On one of the days, the children visited the Lower Prut Biosphere Reserve.
“No doubt exists about the importance of this project, as the children participate in activities conducted outdoors. Children open up in a completely different way than if they were somewhere indoors. They familiarize themselves with their surroundings. For example, one of the excursions was to a protected area, where the children got to know rare plants and rare species of birds,” says Olesea Stamova, coordinator of the project “School of Sports Tourism.”
“We went through elements of sport tourism and mountain tourism. We had inclined passes and parallels. We tied knots. Of course, we set up tents. On their second attempt, many successfully set up tents on their own without any difficulties. We taught them how to make fire in different ways. We taught them how to cook on an open fire”, says Irina Alexandrova, project instructor.
The Sports Tourism School gave the children experiences and memories for a lifetime.
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“It is simply unforgettable. We walked for more than six hours to Tomai Lake. It is a simply memorable feeling. I went to a zoo for the first time. It’s an amazing zoo. There are all kinds of animals there that I’ve never seen before and maybe never would have had the chance to see,” says one student.
The aim of developing this project was to detach the younger generation from gadgets and to promote socialization between refugee children from Ukraine and Moldova.
“The German government supports civil society organizations in being strong organizations, reliable partners for local governments, communities, and sustainable local development. Today’s event is a good example of cooperation between civil society and local authorities, the business environment”, says Elena Spinu, coordinator of the Regional Project “Strengthening Civil Society in Eastern Partnership Countries.”
“Through the projects carried out, we contribute to the development of the society and, even more, to the development of the community, which is what the CONTACT center has been doing for 30 years already, together with its international and local partners through projects of this kind and not only, we contribute to social cohesion, to the integration of refugee children and children from socially vulnerable families for a prosperous community. We are convinced that such projects help develop life skills, spatial orientation, and team cohesion while fostering the community creation built on integrity,” says Anisoara Bezarau, Grant Manager, “CONTACT” Center.
This video is produced by the CONTACT Center within the project “Strong Civil Society for Local Development,” funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), within the regional project “Strengthening Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries.