The project:
Through this project, we support 43 churches and local NGOs to run Day Centres for children at risk in their communities.
The children attending the day centres are from difficult family backgrounds. They are often confronted with: extreme poverty, abuse, negligence and family breakdown. The problems are caused by unemployment, alcohol abuse, labour migration and parental irresponsibility.
The aim of the Day Centres is to show love and care to the children, integrate them in family, society and church and stimulate there overall development.
Numărul de copii beneficiari ai unui Centru de Zi începe cu minim 20 de persoane, care au de la 3 până la 5 întâlniri pe săptămână, în dependență de posibilitățile bisericii și de nevoile comunității. Activitățile sunt planificate după școală și durează aproximativ 3 ore.
Vârsta copiilor ce frecventează centrul de zi este de la 6 până la 16 ani.
The day centre:
At the day centre the kids are served a hot meal and are invited to take part in a range of activities, like games, homework assistance, Bible lessons, singing, crafts, life-skills and others. The activities are all aimed to meet the children’s needs, entrust them with moral-Christian values, help them to build a healthy self-esteem, unlock their talents and abilities and help them reach their full God-given potential.
The meetings usually take place at the church premises and sometimes at the local school or another public property.
Each day centre meets with at least 20 children, 3 to 5 times a week, depending on the possibilities of the church and the needs of the community. Activities are mostly planned after school and the programme usually takes about three hours. The age from the children attending is from 6 to 15.
All day centres are backed by a local church, which ensures the project with volunteers and also offers a community for children and parents to find support and acceptance. The presence of the church also offers sustainability to the project.
Summer activity:
During the summer the churches organise summer camps for the children from the day centre and other children from the community. Many churches receive teams from within Moldova and abroad, that help organising activities for the children and help repairing or building the facilities. Most foreign teams come through our cooperation with the Dutch organisation Livingstone.
The role of YFC:
YFC motivates and mobilises churches to open day centres and ensures the centres are functioning well. We offer:
- Financial support (especially for food)
- Training for the church volunteers and possibilities to exchange experience
- Materials necessary for the day centre activity
- Consultancy and help with resolving specific problems
