More and more kindergartens in Moldova are provided with cognitive toys for child developmentBulboaca village, Moldova, 27 December 2012 – More than 57,000 children from 517 kindergartens and community centers in Moldova, including those for children with special educational needs, will receive LEGO and DUPLO toys valuing USD 1.5 million. The donation is part
of a public-private partnership project between UNICEF and the LEGO Foundation,
with support of Danish Embassy in Moldova and the Ministry of Education.
A public event to announce the distribution of toys to the most vulnerable kindergartens in Moldova was organized at the end of December 2012 in the Bulboaca village, Anenii-Noi district, not far from the capital Chisinau. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, local authorities and media. Children from the local kindergarten who were the first to receive the toys prepared poems and songs and thanked the guests for their special gifts. Alexandra Yuster, UNICEF Representative in Moldova, mentioned in her opening remarks that "both learning and play are very important and it’s a right of every child. We are pleased to see that more and more children in Moldova have the chance to go to kindergarten and to enjoy better conditions for education. Toys we donated today will allow children to have fun and learn at the same time," she stated during the donation ceremony. The Minister of Education Maia Sandu said in her welcoming speech that LEGO toys help children become creative,
inventive and teaches them to work together. "I'm sure that children from
this kindergarten will be delighted by this gift. I want to thank our
colleagues from UNICEF and the Embassy of Denmark and Lego Foundation for this
gift, "said Mrs. Sandu.
Kindergartens in
Moldova, especially in poor rural communities, do not have books and toys to
develop children's creativity. A UNICEF study shows that every fourth child
grows up without having toys and books. LEGO and DUPLO toys are recognized
internationally for their quality to stimulate the intellectual and social development
of children. The donation will fill this gap. The current
donation is the second tranche of a larger project aiming to provide cognitive
toys to preschool institutions in Moldova. Last year other 400 kindergartens
have also received toys that have benefited around 27,000 children. In Moldova there
are 1440 kindergartens. 22 percent of children aged 3-6 years are not enrolled in
preschool education. More information and photos from the event are available on the UNICEF Moldova Facebook page For additional information, please contact: Irina Lipcanu Larisa Virtosu
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