Moldova
Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development
Project description
The project "A new approach to poverty reduction in Moldova - combined efforts of NGOs and Local Authorities" is a partnership project of the Gustav Stresemann Institut e.V. (GSI) - European Academy (Bonn, Germany), Pro NGO! e.V. (Cologne, Germany) and the International Society for Human Rights - Moldavian Section (Chisinau, Moldova). It is co-financed by the European Commission's programme "Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development". The project started in December 2008 and will last 24 months.
The project aims to contribute to poverty reduction in the Republic of Moldova, to develop and strengthen capacities of Moldovan NGOs and local authorities, and to develop and encourage co-operation between them.
The specific objectives of the project are:
- to qualify local experts as multipliers (selected from NGOs and local stakeholders); to design and implement a country-wide training programme
- to strengthen the capacity of NGOs and local authorities in their fight against poverty and exclusion; to develop cooperation between them, and to ensure a lasting impact of the action
- to raise public awareness and enhance public perception through local civil society organisations and local media
- to provide mechanisms for better social reintegration and rehabilitation of women prisoners and ex-prisoners and their children
- to strengthen the work of the pilot Centre for social reintegration of detainees set up by the local partner ISHR-MS in 2005 in Chisinau and extend its services for women prisoners, ex-prisoners and their children
- to ensure contact between imprisoned mothers and their children; to offer professional training courses for women ex-prisoners, taking into account both the current and future needs and requirements on the labour market
- to introduce (and train) quality assurance procedures for organisations active in the social sector
- to implement an impact analysis resulting in recommendations for future activities in the target country, using German experience and expertise to reach the above objectives (best practice examples)
The action will develop and consolidate partnership between local authorities and non-governmental sector in solving social problems. Civil society organisations and local authorities will be strengthened and will be able to use an integrated approach and build common strategies to decrease poverty and exclusion of vulnerable groups. They will be able to provide assistance in accordance with the needs of disadvantaged persons.
Women prisoners and ex-prisoners will get timely assistance, necessary skills and a profession that will contribute to their speedy reintegration into society and will reduce the poverty risk in the long term. Regular visits of children to their imprisoned mothers will strengthen mother-child relation and prevent the loss of relationship that has already been undermined by separation and will prepare them to live together in future.
The main activities of the project include: train-the-trainer and study visits for Moldovan experts in Germany; capacity building programme in Moldova (seminars for NGOs and local authorities to be carried out in 10 cities); roundtables between NGOs and local authorities; strengthening the Centre for Social Reintegration of Detainees (rendering social and psychological assistance to women prisoners and ex-prisoners); job training for women ex-prisoners (hairdresser’s courses); ensuring contact between imprisoned mothers and their children; public awareness campaign.