A centre for Naomi, Vasile, Anastasia and their families
A centre for Naomi, Vasile, Anastasia and their families By Ina Prisacaru Naomi is one year old and the youngest visitor to “Speranţa”, the UNICEF-supported community centre for children and families in the village of Varniţa, Anenii Noi district of Moldova. She took her first steps at this centre and it was also here that she said her first word “apa” (“water”). "I have watched my daughter becoming friendlier towards the people around her. She doesn’t cry anymore when children or adults come up to her and is more willing to play with them" “We first brought Naomi to the Centre six months ago and since then I have watched my daughter becoming friendlier towards the people around her. She doesn’t cry anymore when children or adults come up to her and is more willing to play with them,” says Naomi’s mother, genuinely happy at her daughter's progress. Vasile, at six years of age, had never attended an educational programme before now. His mother didn’t have the money to pay for a kindergarten and had very little time to spend with Vasile as she brings up her son alone and works all day long, including weekends. During his early visits to the community centre, Vasile wouldn’t even raise his eyes or speak to anyone. Today, after several weeks of attending the centre, this little boy is beginning to express his emotions freely and has even made friends. “It feels good here. I like it because there are lots of books with fairy tales, games, puzzles and, of course, other children. Some of them are my friends,” Vasile told us. Anastasia, 6, has been staying with her grandmother since her mother died four years ago. Grandmother is a nurse at the local boarding school and because the school’s buildings are spread out, she daily makes a long tour of the village. Her monthly salary is around 700 Moldovan Lei (US$ 54) which doesn’t even cover the most basic of needs. Lacking the money to cover the state school fee, Anastasia could not attend the local kindergarten. Now, since the opening of the community centre, Anastasia is its most devoted and loyal visitor. Because most of the country’s kindergartens accept only children above the age of two, and charge fees that are unaffordable for poor families, the newly-created Community-Based Child and Family Centres are a great support to families. However, 270 communities in Moldova do not offer any early educational or kindergarten programme and would benefit from adopting this model of affordable and flexible service geared to the needs of the community. This would help achieve a double goal: better care and development practices in families and access to pre-school programmes for half of all Moldovan children aged 3-5. Early childhood development is a fight for child rights and for poverty reduction According to UNICEF, early childhood development is crucial for human development and a child’s future success as an individual. Early exposure to educational programmes is the best equalizer of opportunities and so a vital tool in breaking the poverty cycle. “Early childhood development is one of the UNICEF priorities in Moldova,” says UNICEF Project Officer for Family and Community Practices, Lilia Jelamschi. “One of the ways in which UNICEF responded to the country's needs was by setting up models of Community-based Centres for Families and Children.” Eight such centres have been supported by UNICEF in rural communities of Moldova, responding to the local needs and providing families with young children access to educational materials, information for parents on child care and development, as well as developmental toys and books. The centres complement existing kindergartens, allowing for increased access to educational programmes especially for vulnerable children and their families. The centre staff are trained in innovative child-centered approaches and interpersonal communication. With their focus on direct collaboration with families, these centres are a successful model of cooperation with Local Public Authorities. Today, there are 20 community centres established as a joint UNICEF/UNESCO project whose aim is to provide an innovative and flexible - as well as affordable - community-driven model for rural areas of Moldova. Currently, the model is replicated nationwide under the “Education for All – Fast Track” initiative, which focuses on supporting the Government’s efforts in the area of Early Childhood Development.
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