Following Orhei district, the PANDA educational programme for parents and children to be piloted in four more districts

After one year of piloting in Orhei District, the PANDA programme, launched in 2015 by Partnerships for Every Child (P4EC) within the project “A Strong Family for Every Child”, is set to be implemented in four additional districts: Călărași, Fălești, Telenești, and Ungheni.

To this end, in February 2016, a multi-day training session was organized to prepare for the delivery of this educational programme with therapeutic effects, aimed at children from families facing various social challenges, including alcohol abuse.

The training resulted in the qualification of 28 individuals from different professional backgrounds as moderators who will implement this psycho-social assistance programme in the above-mentioned districts.

The programme is offered free of charge to children aged 6 to 18 and their parents. Participants are engaged in a range of educational activities and may also benefit from individual or group counseling sessions.

The programme aims to change children’s attitudes toward their own situation and their family environment, to improve children’s behavior within the family, enhance the psycho-emotional well-being of children from families affected by alcohol abuse, strengthen self-esteem, support better school performance, improve relationships with peers in the community, and prevent alcohol consumption among children, among other objectives.

The PANDA programme represents a unique experience at national level. It was initially piloted in Orhei District, where it received positive results and appreciation from both beneficiaries and local authorities. For example, specialists from the Orhei District Social Assistance and Family Protection Department (DASPF) considered it necessary to integrate the PANDA programme into the local system of social and educational services, establishing the required cooperation mechanisms. At the same time, specialists expressed strong interest in its implementation, describing it as a programme for the prevention of alcohol abuse among children and young people.

“It is encouraging that children are now more open. If during the first sessions they were reluctant to participate in exercises, now they get involved on their own, propose new topics for discussion, and want to invite other children whom they know face the same problems—living in environments where alcohol is consumed and where they themselves could become victims of alcohol abuse. They themselves identify the benefits of this programme. Results are already visible: children know how to communicate or avoid conflict with family members who abuse alcohol. If during the first four sessions we all had concerns—even the coordinator from the Department—that children would drop out of the programme, now they are open and eager to participate.” (Silvia Tocari, Chief Specialist, DASPF Orhei)

Moderators of the programme piloted in Orhei District also noted changes in children’s perspectives regarding their future plans:

“Over time, especially among girls, a change in thinking about the future was observed. The girls understood how to cope with various situations and made correct choices from the options proposed in the games.” (Moderator, Isacova village)

“Progress was evident in how children reacted and how their way of thinking changed, realizing that they are good and that they are not to blame for the actions of adults.” (Moderator, Piatra village)

Children’s behavior also changed in relation to their peers. Throughout the sessions, moderators observed the development of empathy and friendship toward other children participating in the programme.

C., 11 years old: “I learned not to be afraid to talk to others.”
D., 13 years old: “I learned not to be shy.”
N., 11 years old: “I learned that every problem has a solution. I am happier now… We need to love and respect each other. If someone asks for help, we should help them, even if they are a stranger.”
A., 12 years old: “Before, I used to go home and feel bored, but now I come to the center. I am happier; before I was a bit sad. When I walk down the street, I see people smiling at me.”

The PANDA programme was adapted for the Republic of Moldova and is implemented based on the Ersta Vändpunkten model from Sweden, which itself is based on a similar programme that has been implemented in the United States since 1977. In Sweden, the programme has been successfully implemented since 1989 and has reached more than 1,200 children to date. In Moldova, 32 children formed the first group of beneficiaries included in the programme.

Related projects
Partnerships for Every Child implements the project “A Strong Family for Every Child” with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project runs until June 2017 and aims to improve the safety, well-being, and development of children at risk and those deprived of adequate parental care in the Republic of Moldova.