Playscheme Lights Up Moldova Lives

A small corner of the poorest country in Europe was lit up recently, as a team of volunteers descended onto a rather special children's centre in Moldova.

Kick-starting the summer holidays for the many vulnerable children who are cared for and educated at the Child and Community Centre in Iargara, Demelza Wallace from Montezuma's Chocolates accompanied our very own Ben Wilkes, of Children on the Edge, on the latest 'Moldova Playscheme'.

"Seeing the children's faces light up when handed popcorn, watching Mama Zena make lunch for 25 children out of practically nothing, managing to make it appetising and nourishing – it’s no mean feat!" enthused Demelza on her return last week.

"It was the simple things that brought the biggest smiles," she added. "Like the faces of a group of hardy boys when a rainbow appeared across the sky. That, and the enthusiasm and selflessness that Ben and Ant [Team Leaders] from Children on the Edge brought to the playscheme. The outside shower and freshly-picked cherries were bliss, too!"

Troubled community

Iargara is an impoverished rural community close to the border with Romania. It sits inside the poorest country in Europe, Moldova, and is the site of its very first Child and Community Centre (which Children on the Edge has successfully rolled out elsewhere around the world).

Staff at the Centre work with some of the most vulnerable children in this community: those whose lives are blighted by crushing poverty, whose parents have left them to seek work abroad, or those inside households where alcoholism has taken hold. Many are at risk from sex traffickers working across the nearby border.

The Centre provides a safe place for these children and young people to receive psychological support, a daily nutritious meal, help with schoolwork. Staff also work hard to improve inter-community relations.

"Best of all it's a safe place to hang out, try your hand at arts and crafts activities as well as games and sports like football, skipping, badminton and many others," said Ben.

Happy visit

During a week-long visit in mid-June, Demelza, Ben and other Children on the Edge supporters from The Body Shop Greece, Switzerland and the UK led play sessions with the Iargara children.

"We were met with a a barrage of approximately 50 children of varying ages," said Demelza. "I volunteered for ‘Crown Making’, cardboard, glue and glitter. Needless to say this was a great hit and we soon got to know lots of new names as we decorated our crowns and wore them with pride around the centre for the rest of the week. I think I am still finding glitter on my skin even now a whole week later!"

One of her personal highlights was seeing the children's faces light up as the volunteers handed out little bags of salted popcorn, whilst showing the film ‘Chicken Run’, a moment she called "truly heartwarming".

Of course, life continues for the children of Iargara after the volunteers have returned home. Our playschemes bring a little light-hearted fun and enthusiasm for a short while, but the more difficult work lies ahead for the Child and Community Centre staff.

You can help support that work by donating via the link below: just £1 can provide a nutritious meal for a child in Iargara.

Support the work of Children on the Edge in places like Iargara