Donation to Moldovan youth centers: 3 vehicles and 88 portable “work suitcases”
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has donated three vehicles—two minibuses and a car—to be distributed among Youth Centres in Drochia, Straseni, and Cimişlia. In addition to the vehicles, the British donation includes 88 toolkits designed as portable "work bags." These toolkits provide youth workers with practical resources and modern methodologies for organizing interactive sessions, facilitating community dialogue, and encouraging civic engagement among young people.
The total cost of the three cars is 1,788,641 lei, while the 88 sets of tools amount to 1,135,860 lei.
The youth sector is becoming increasingly visible and omnipresent in the European integration process. Today's donation represents a gesture of solidarity that will help more accurately identify the challenges faced by young people aged 14 to 35, especially in rural areas. This was stated by Sergiu Gurin, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education and Research, during the donation event held on Monday, March 30, in Chisinau.
"These cars will provide rural centers with the same services that young people in larger cities enjoy," said Sergiu Gurin.
Alexandr Petrov, director of the National Youth Agency, emphasized that all youth centers demonstrating excellence must have a transport unit to serve surrounding localities. He promised to modernize all such structures in the Republic of Moldova by 2030.
"It is very challenging to effectively cover and communicate messages of participation and development with only one youth center in the district and a few branches, especially without a vehicle. I hope this will become a standard for all youth centers in the near future. We have areas where young people have never traveled within their district; many have never visited the district center or Chisinau. Last year, at the Student Council's General Assembly, we found that 70% of students had never been to Chisinau. We recognize the importance of having transport to deliver opportunities to grassroots communities, especially to vulnerable groups with limited access to development," said Alexandr Petrov.
Bob Easton, the Deputy Head of the British Embassy in Chisinau, highlighted at the event that many young people, particularly in rural areas, are often left behind. "We are talking about regions where many women, children, and young people are underserved. For this reason, we decided to provide this aid—whether direct or indirect—to support the younger generation in the Republic of Moldova and help foster democratic resilience, empower young women, and identify innovations and opportunities for every young person here," he stated.
"This initiative is designed to help us reach as many young people as possible. It's not just about bringing them to youth centers and organizations; it's also about connecting with vulnerable communities. If we invest in education and opportunities, we will cultivate more young leaders, not just in the future, but in the present as well," said Tudor Arnăut, Secretary General of the National Youth Council of the Republic of Moldova.
This donation is part of the project "Young catalysts: Strengthening the democratic core of the Republic of Moldova," which is funded by the Government of the United Kingdom and implemented with support from the Ministry of Education and Research, the National Youth Agency, and UNFPA.
