UNICEF Moldova

📊 Two-thirds of children in Europe and Central Asia experience violence at home, in school, or in their communities. One in three children is physically punished, while two in three are subjected to psychological aggression, the most common forms of violence against children, according to a new #UNICEF report. 🗣️ “Violence is shaping too many childhoods across Europe and Central Asia, often at the hands of those meant to protect and care for children,” said Regina De Dominicis, Regional Director, UNICEF Europe & Central Asia. Although most parents believe that violence is unnecessary, stress, lack of support, and limited awareness of positive alternatives lead to the continued use of physical and emotional punishment. Violence, in any form, affects children’s development and can have long-term consequences on their mental health and behavior. To stop this, UNICEF calls on governments to turn #commitments into concrete action:  - prohibit all forms of physical punishment;  - invest in parenting support programmes and child protection services;  - create safe and inclusive learning environments;  - collect and use data to inform effective policies. 📘 Read the full report:  “Where We Live and Learn: Violence Against Children in Europe and Central Asia” 👇 https://lnkd.in/dCAETd97 #UNICEF #ForEveryChild #ProtectEveryChild #EuropeAndCentralAsia

After fleeing the war in Ukraine, Marina found refuge in #Moldova. Here, her life changed once again - she gave birth to Vova💙 Today, one year and four months old, Vova had an accident on the playground. 🏥 At the Valentin Ignatenco Municipal Children’s Clinical Hospital, doctors immediately decided to admit him to the Neurosurgery and Associated Trauma Unit. There, he received the necessary treatment and medical care - free of charge, with support from #UNICEF and international partners 🤝 For thousands of #refugee mothers, access to healthcare means more than treatment. It means safety, dignity, and #hope. ✅ Since the beginning of the war, over 10,000 refugee children have received free medical services in public institutions across Moldova, thanks to the support of the Governments of the Republic of Korea (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea), Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Moldova), the United Kingdom (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), Japan, Norway (Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation), Sweden, and the United States (U.S. Department of State). #ForEveryChild, health must be a priority! 🔗Read Marina and Vova’s story: https://lnkd.in/dpWtu-vB #ForEveryChild #HealthServices #HealthForAll #ChildhoodWithoutBorders #RefugeeChildren

Impactful achievements are built on reliable and long-lasting partnerships 🤝. We are grateful to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) & KfW for their trust. Together, we can reach every child in Moldova 💙

👁️ Have you ever tried looking through a sheet of plastic? That’s how many children with visual impairments see the world, not complete darkness, but a blur of shapes and shadows. At the “Low Vision” Medical-Social Rehabilitation Centre in Chișinău, specialists use simple tools like simulation glasses or plastic sheets to help parents understand how their children perceive everyday life. Thanks to the support of the Global Partnership for Education, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Research, #UNICEFMoldova has provided over 840 assistive devices to schools across Moldova from Braille typewriters to video magnifiers, screen readers, and adaptive keyboards. 🎓 These tools are already changing lives. Like for Ionuț, 8, who received a monocular telescope to help him see the blackboard more clearly. Or for Viorel, 15, who now #dreams of working in IT thanks to the electronic magnifiers that help him read and learn independently. In the last decade, the number of children with special #education needs integrated into mainstream schools in Moldova has doubled. But for children with visual impairments, access to education still requires targeted efforts, tailored solutions, and continued investment. 📈 Because for many, these devices are not just tools, they’re windows to the #future. 💙 📰 More in this article: https://lnkd.in/dsCQVpme #ForEveryChild #InclusiveEducation #AssistiveTechnology #EducationForAll #ChildRights #AccessibilityInEducation

💙 Children and families in Edineț will soon have access to services tailored to their needs. #UNICEF, the Edineț District Council, the National Institute for Early Childhood Intervention “Voinicel,” and the “Step by Step” Educational Programme, with support from the Government of the Republic of Korea (Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)) and the Government of the United States through the U.S. Department of State (BPRM), are expanding the network of integrated services for children and families in the district. 👶 An Early Intervention Centre and 35 Resource Centres in #kindergartens will provide personalized support to children with developmental delays, disabilities, or at risk, through learning-through-play activities, socio-emotional #development, and interactive reading. 👨👩👧👦 Over the next two years, more than 250 #children and their families will benefit from monitoring, #parentalcounselling, and #psychosocialassistance services, ensuring that #everychild has the opportunity to grow up in an #inclusive and #safe environment. Read more in the press release: https://lnkd.in/dnYd6Dt8 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea #ForEveryChild #InclusiveEducation #EarlyIntervention #UNICEFthxKOREA #GamsahapnidaKOREA #UNICEFthxUS

🎓 EdCamp 2025 brought together over 200 specialists from across Moldova to explore how schools can become more #inclusive, emotionally supportive, and innovation-driven for every child. Organized by the Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance, with support from the Ministry of Education, #UNICEFMoldova, and HIAS Moldova, the forum featured 22 workshops on topics like: - Social skills for children with #autism;  - Assistive technologies in speech therapy;  - Music-based communication for children with disabilities;  - Bullying prevention;  - Anger management and emotional regulation;  - Creating sensory books;  - Building healthy adolescent relationships. 💬 “Inclusive education is a commitment to equal opportunities for all,” said Marcelina Baleca from the Ministry of Education. 🤝 UNICEF’s Jana Midoni emphasized the importance of long-term partnerships for strengthening inclusive #education and supporting every child’s well-being. The event was held under the EU-funded programme “Promoting Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All”, implemented by #UNICEFMoldova and UNDP Moldova. For every child, a school that feels like home. 💙 #EdCamp2025 #InclusiveEducation #ForEveryChild #EUinMoldova #ChildWellbeing #MentalHealthInSchools  

📶 98% of schools in Moldova are now connected to the #internet. But that’s just the beginning. The internet has transformed how we learn, teach, and connect, yet millions of children around the world remain offline. Globally, 1 in 3 people still lack access to the internet, limiting students’ ability to use digital tools, access quality education, and reach their full potential. In #Moldova, things are changing. 👏 Thanks to joint efforts by the Government, #UNICEFMoldova, ITU, and partners through the Giga initiative, over 98% of schools around 1,200 institutions are now online. And the goal is clear: 100% connectivity by 2027. But connectivity alone is not enough. Real digital transformation means reliable internet access, #safe online environments for children, digital skills and support for teachers and learning resources that reflect children’s needs. 💡 That’s why #UNICEFMoldova, together with the Ministry of Education and the Global Partnership for Education, is going further: - 10,000+ teachers are strengthening their digital skills through the DigiProf initiative;   - 140 schools are now equipped with interactive whiteboards and computers;   - 10 general education textbooks are being digitalized;   - Every school’s connectivity can now be tracked on the Giga Map. Through the national programme "Digital Innovations in the Education System of Moldova", we’re ensuring that every child no matter where they live can learn, grow, and dream in a connected world. 🎯  Because the internet is not a luxury. It’s a #right. ❗ 📍 Explore the Giga initiative: https://giga.global/  📰 More in this article: https://lnkd.in/gGtz6HwM #GigaInitiative #DigitalEducation #EdTech #EveryChildConnected

The Alternative Forum Theatre troupe from Fălești arrived yesterday in Orhei 🎭, eagerly awaited by about 100 students from grades VI–VIII and their teachers at Alecu Russo Theoretical Lyceum 🏫. As usual, the teenagers presented different situations inspired by real school life, addressing stigma and discrimination against children with disabilities ♿️, with special educational needs 🧩, refugee children, and ethnic minorities 🌍. The performances are participatory: students step on stage, propose alternatives 💡, practice interventions against bullying and discrimination, while also learning to use respectful language 🗣️ and to safely report cases of violence. 🤝 The #UNICEF team and the Norwegian Embassy Office in Chisinau – Kamilla H. Kolshus, Head of Office, Anna Wågen, Development Officer, and Sander Elias Nordeng, intern – visited Orhei, watched the students’ performance, and discussed with them the challenges they face and the ways they act to overcome them. The social theatre performances are part of the campaign “Learning Together,” launched by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova together with #UNICEF, with the support of the Government of #Norway, and implemented by AO Dialog Alternativ, to promote educational inclusion and to support the implementation of the National Programme for Inclusive Education 2023–2027. The initiative, launched in March 2025 🗓️, will reach 60 schools across 10 districts. The youth team from Dialog Alternativ has already visited 40 institutions, and students’ confidence that they can intervene in cases of #bullying has increased from 50.8% to 87.6%. A big thank you to all the teachers and students from Orhei for their involvement and for the courage to say “no” to stereotypes and bullying 🙌. Together we make school safer and more #inclusive for every child 💙.

💧 1 in 4 people still lack access to safe drinking water - this is the stark reminder from the new UNICEF–WHO report. Despite progress, billions are left behind, especially those in vulnerable communities. The report, “Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: Special Focus on Inequalities,” reveals persistent gaps in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), especially for people in fragile and low-income contexts, rural communities, ethnic minorities and Indigenous groups and women and adolescent girls 📊 Key facts from the report:   • 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water;   • 3.4 billion people lack safe sanitation;   • 1.7 billion still don’t have basic hygiene facilities at home;   • In fragile contexts, access to clean water is 38% lower;   • Girls and women are disproportionately affected, often bearing the burden of water collection and facing barriers during menstruation. With only 5 years left to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, this report is a wake-up call. Accelerated action is urgently needed to deliver on the promise of clean water and dignity for all. 🌍 🗣️ As Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF’s Director of WASH, reminds us: “When children lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, their health, education, and futures are put at risk. The promise of safe water for every child is slipping further from reach.” 🔗 Read more and explore the full report:   https://lnkd.in/dzM57AjV  #WASH #CleanWater #Sanitation #HumanRights #ClimateResilience #LeaveNoOneBehind #WaterIsLife #GirlsAndWater 

At the beginning of September, #UNICEFMoldova and KfW Development Bank visited several communities to monitor the progress of the project “Strengthening National Social Services for Vulnerable and Refugee Children”, funded by the Government of Germany with an €11.5 million grant. 📍 In Cimișlia, Gura Galbenei, and Javgur, we explored how rural families are gaining better access to early childhood and disability support services. In southern Moldova, we assessed the construction of the second Barnahus Centre 🏗️, a safe space for #children who are victims or witnesses of abuse. In Ceadîr-Lunga and Cazaclia, we checked upgrades to school sanitation facilities, ensuring children have access to safe water and #hygiene. 🚰 Together with teachers 👩🏫 and medical staff 👨⚕️, we discussed achievements and next steps to ensure every child in Moldova has access to #education, protection, and healthcare in safe, inclusive environments. These results are possible thanks to the continued support of the German Government and our shared commitment to building a better future #ForEveryChild. 💙