Child Protection Project In Europe

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Terre des hommes Moldova

In Moldavia, Terre des hommes (Tdh) - child relief, opened the newest of its delegations in 2004. Tdh and its partners (UNICEF, DDC and OSCE) found there situations of recognized migration and child trafficking, in particular towards Russia, and set up the FACT project (Fight Against Child Trafficking), giving priority to prevention and assistance at a local level, in villages with a depressing lack of security, where the children are at serious migratory risk. Our intervention backs local committees for protection of child rights, made up of local authorities, teachers, police and volunteers, who support us in the projects of summer activities for village children. For seven weeks, hundreds of children have a chance to join in leisure activities which open social integration to them, and give them self-confidence. Priority targets are those children identified as especially vulnerable, victims of negligence or parental neglect, at risk of alcoholism or having been taken away from school, with special social follow-up in the worst individual cases, to give these children the best possible chance of social reintegration. With this in mind, a network with NGO and local or regional reception structures was set up. Finally, in more than one sensitive action of appeal at national and regional levels, Tdh is engaged in repatriation followed by rehabilitation of exploited children from work-sites and markets in Moscow, victims of organized trafficking or parental migration which turned into pure and simple desertion. Tdh yesterday… Terre des hommes established itself in Moldavia in 2004. After having studied the situation of children in rural areas and the state of trafficking, a project to fight child trafficking was initiated. A partnership was set up with the NGO Salvati Copiii and three local branches, plus one in Moscow, were built up to react to the flow of trafficking. Strategies were discussed with regional and local authorities, so as to achieve cohesion in the project. The primary theme was developed at a local level with the town councils who had mobilized the committees for protection of child rights to keep the children most at risk positively occupied during the summer holidays; an intervention which also gave the chance to make children and locals aware of the dangers of migration and exploitation. At the same time, repatriation from Moscow of abandoned and exploited children took place. Courses for psychosocial organized activities were also held for village volunteers, aiming at more independent care of the youngsters in danger. … and tomorrow Between the extent of the task and the means at our disposition, an optimal balance must be found between quality and quantity. Our priority is the consolidation of activities with Councils and village children, and the development of networks with local NGOs. It is at the source that we can prevent and react effectively against the dangers of migration, exploitation and trafficking. Finally, advocacy is in progress with our Russian partners who are in contact with our Regional Project for Protection (PRPE). Real Life Elena, a village girl of 15, is just about to have her first baby. Her parents are unemployed, and the seven-person family lives in a dilapidated old house with broken windows. Both mother and father regularly drink to excess, exhausting the family's means… Often it is the neighbors who have to help the children and see they are clad. For the first six months, nobody even noticed that Elena was pregnant, but once it was known she did not want to go to school any more, just to go away and hide; she became antisocial and started begging. In coordination with the local council and people from her village, an individual plan of assistance was worked out so that Elena did not have to give up school altogether and did not run away with her baby, with the obvious risk of falling into the hands of traffickers. The whole community is united to support Elena materially, and Tdh has bought her clothes and the necessary food and health articles. The medical assistant in the village has promised to monitor her pregnancy, is making her aware of family planning and the care available for her baby. A teacher has persuaded her to finish her schooling… The course of action taken by the community, with the aid of Tdh, is very positive. The main worry now is the upbringing of Elena's child. But from now on, her village is aware of all this and ready to help her!