Two hundred of people made a strong plea for peace

Chisinau, 10 May, 2022: About 200 people ran for peace and well-being of every child, at the "EU4Cahul Marathon 10 km", a free race, which took place in the heart of the southern capital.

The race was organised by Cahul City Hall with the support of the European Union, within the project "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" and implemented by UNDP Moldova and UNICEF Moldova, to highlight the need for social support for children and to improve access to social services for children and adolescents in Cahul and throughout the country.

At the same time, the event promoted peace and well-being in the context of the current crisis in Ukraine, which affects children, their families, and all citizens.

"Now, more than ever, we must pray for peace, so that all children live in their families, at home. Cahul is grateful to the development partners for the project “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions”, through which we managed to offer children in Cahul access to essential services but also to promote healthy life, through various cultural-sportive activities, such as the Marathon “Run for Peace", declared the Mayor of Cahul, Nicolae Dandiș, during the opening event.

"The European Union, through the “EU4Moldova: Focal Regions” programme, contributes to improving access to quality social services for children and adolescents in a modern and child-friendly social infrastructure. I want to congratulate the entire community of Cahul for their involvement and attitude towards their city. We are Stronger Together!”, added Gintautas Baranauskas, Deputy Head of Cooperation section, EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova 

UNICEF Moldova Deputy Representative Ilija Talev also joined the Marathon and ran along with two hundred participants, mentioning in his speech that it is admirable when the whole community is involved in a noble action, for the safety of children in Moldova and Ukraine.

"Thank you for coming to support the EU4Cahul Marathon “Run for Peace”, which is so important for every child right now. UNICEF's mission in Moldova is to ensure that every child in the country is healthy, educated, and protected. In the current crisis, it is crucial to ensure that children have access to all needed services. Together with our UNDP colleagues and all local partners, UNICEF aims to bring more opportunities and quality health and education services to every child and family in Cahul”, said Ilija Talev.

During two years of implementation of the project, UNICEF Moldova, together with development partners, renovated "Prichindel" kindergarten providing children from Cahul with a safe and comfortable space for their development, equipped 40 schools and kindergartens with didactic materials and toys allowing four thousand children benefit from them. Some 180 family doctors and medical assistants have been trained and equipped for home visiting and early childhood interventions, meaning that now all families in Cahul rayon with children under 3 years old can benefit from such services.

Likewise, 15 pupils' councils now have capacities to actively participate in school life and four Youth Centers were trained in strategic planning and delivery of friendly services for adolescents and youth.  

The "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions" Programme (2019-2024) supports the development of smart, inclusive and sustainable regional growth poles in Ungheni and Cahul, to bring a better quality of life and new opportunities to citizens.

The Programme has a total budget of €23 million, is financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).