Iom: activity in Moldova

MOLDOVA - Taking Small Steps Towards the Future - A festival showcasing the varied artistic talents of children in social protection in Moldova on 25 October will mark the end of a month-long focus on efforts to fight human trafficking.

The festival, "Taking Small Steps Towards the Future", organized in partnership between the Ministry of Social Protection, Family and Child, IOM, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and supported by the private sector, is aimed at raising awareness of the impact of human trafficking on children, on protecting children’s rights as well as giving the children themselves a platform for their talents in order to encourage their further development and social integration.

The children involved in the festival are all currently receiving assistance from governmental and non-governmental child social protection centres and organizations specializing on countering human trafficking. Orphans, children from deprived backgrounds, children left behind by parents who have migrated abroad as well as those in residential institutions, all represent a particularly vulnerable group to human trafficking.

Moldova has high rates of emigration. According to a recent survey, about 25 per cent of the labour force (as many as 450,000 people) was estimated to be living abroad in 2007 with 35,000 of the school-age children having both parents abroad and 75,000 children with one parent abroad.

Those children with both parents abroad, usually end up with a relative, placed in a residential institution or day care centres and in the worst case scenario, can even end up living on their own. For all of them, there are new responsibilities and duties and the separation usually leads to psychological and emotional distress unalleviated by the presents that parents might send.

The month-long focus on human trafficking issues has included 10 social theatre performances about human trafficking played by young volunteers; a series of trainings for border guards in eight major border crossings involving guards from neighbouring countries too; trainings for social teachers and social workers on preventing children from being trafficked and how to help those that were as well as training on how to identify victims of trafficking.

The events during the month were organized by various government bodies, civil society and international organizations including IOM.

For further information, please contact Tatiana Jardan at IOM Moldova, tel: +373 22 232940 (ext. 119), e-mail: tjardan@iom.int