Activity report for 1999(PDF) - Soros Foundation Moldova

The Big Friends, Little Friends of Moldova
Program
BF/LF is a volunteer program implemented by the
CONTACT Center. The program provides assistance to
teenagers from single families with communication
needs, behavioral problems due to the crisis in their
families caused by divorce or other factors. The program
is building a human relationships between a
Volunteer (Big Friend) and the teenager (Little Friend),
based on the one-to-one approach.
BF/LF is a part of the Big Brother, Big Sister
(BB/BS) Network Program of the Volunteer Development
Initiatives, Open Society Institute, New York.
To expand the program on the regional level the
BF/LF Program carried out the following activities:
– Recruited the regional team of coordinators in
Bælfli, Soroca, Comrat, Cahul.
– Worked out the strategic plan of the BF/LF
Program for 2000-2001
– Ensured the logistics of the Program
– Prepared the activity plan for 2000 on the national
and regional levels
– The techniques and methods of program implementation
were developed and improved
– An information/promotion campaign of the program
was developed
$ 30,847.20
The Volunteer Center
The active citizen, involved in public life is a major
component of an open society. NGOs and volunteering
are fundamental tools for citizen’s participation in the
life of the community.
CONTACT Center is implementing two volunteer
programs: Volunteer Center and BF/LF Program.
Volunteer Programs provide the opportunity to be
involved in community service through volunteer work
and to solve concrete community problems with community
resources. Establishment and development of
the Volunteer Center is an answer to the needs in information,
consulting, training of NGOs, different institutions
and citizens interested in participation and
involvement in the volunteer movement from Moldova.
The Volunteer Center encourages citizens to be
active, recognizes and appreciates actions and efforts of
volunteers, initiates volunteer programs which meet
community needs.
In 1999, the Volunteer Center implemented the following
activities:
Promoted and encouraged volunteering in the
Republic of Moldova by organizing the National
Conference Volunteering – an Element of the Social
Partnership in the Republic of Moldova, informing society,
business, state, NGOs representatives about the
1999 ACTIVITY REPORT
activity and volunteer movement abroad and in
Moldova, September 30, 1999.
Provided training, recruitment and volunteer management
services to NGOs and other interested institutions.
Thus, two two-day seminars on Volunteer
Management were conducted for 50 NGOs on August 3-
4, September 16-17, 1999.
Organized meetings and trainings with volunteers
interested in working with NGOs and other specialized
institutions (monthly Volunteer Club).
Created a database on potential volunteers and a
database of organizations willing to involve volunteers
in their project
Recruiting volunteers for NGOs and interested
institutions: VECTOR Center for the Protection of
Vulnerable Population, Association of Social Protection
of Women, International Federation of Red Cross in
Moldova, Independent Journalism Center, etc.
Started and developed pilot volunteer programs to
address concrete problems faced by local communities:
a volunteer pilot project at the orphanage in Cahul
municipality.
The Volunteer Center succeeded in building partnerships
with international voluntary organizations
through the network of Volunteer Centers in the
Eastern and Central Europe, becoming a member of the
International Association of Volunteer Effort (IAVE), cooperating
with the UN Volunteer Program (Bonn,
Germany)
$ 20,000
Social Welfare
For Children in Moldova Fourth Charity Ball
The International Charity Association from Moldova
The aim of the annual charity ball of 1999 was to
raise financial resources for treating TB affected children
of Moldova.
$ 2,500
Support for persons with disabilities
Ion PÎSLARU $ 2,500
Mihai SERCEL $ 2,500
The CONTACT Centers Network
In 1999 the network of the CONTACT Centers continued
to offer assistance to NGOs from Moldova. The
regional centers from Bælfli, Soroca, Cahul, Comrat continued
their activities by promoting projects that are initiated
and implemented by the Chiøinæu office and all
the branches of the CONTACT Center: Rural Development,
NGOs Forum, AgraVista Database, Volunteer
Center, Electronic Bulletin, and a program for national
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