About 13 years ago, HOPE’87 together with its local partner organisation SPERANTA 87 started the project “An Education Center for long term hospitalised children at the oncological hospital in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova“.

It was based on a study commissioned by UNESCO Paris in 2008, which explored the possibilities of such an education centre in order to give children, who were often torn out of their school life for several months due to their oncological illness, an opportunity to keep up with the curriculum and their classmates. In addition, the children and their parents were to receive psychological support to increase their resilience. This project was co-financed by ADA and UNESCO with a total of about 700,000 €.

The City of Vienna also participated and provided the know-how of the special needs kindergartens of the City of Vienna and wellcomed the  pedagogues from Moldova during their stay in Vienna… The St. Anna Children’s Hospital in Vienna provided training places for doctors in its oncology department, as did the “Louis Țurcanu” Children’s Hospital in Timișoara… the Ronald Macdonald Foundation covered the accommodation costs in Vienna… it was a project of solidarity in action, unbureaucratic and deeply based on partnership with an immense transfer of know-how at eye level!

In 2013, the Education Centre went into operation and since then has developed into a state-of-the-art centre for the pedagogical care of long-term hospitalised children.

On 23 April 2023, the 10th anniversary of this Education Centre was celebrated with a ceremony in the hospital’s auditorium. At the same time, the book “Impreuna vom Reusi” (Together we will succeed) was presented, which documents the work of the Education Centre over the past 10 years and also refers to the funding provided by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and UNESCO Paris.

The ceremony was attended by many of the almost 1,000 children who have now been cared for by the Education Center at the oncological children’s ward, parents, doctors, nursing staff, representatives of the clergy, media representatives, the Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Republic of Moldova, the Secretary General of HOPE’87 and the State Secretary for Education and the State Secretary for Health of the Republic of Moldova. The ceremony was crowned by the participation of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Her Excellency Maia Sandu.

In her speech, the President of the Republic of Moldova stressed the importance of this institution for the health of children and the care of parents, thanked the staff of the Education Centre for their devoted work and also recalled Austria’s support in financing the project.

In his reply, the Secretary General of HOPE’87 thanked the President of the Republic for her help in the realisation of the project when she, as the then Minister of Education, promised to guarantee the sustainability of the Education Centre, which has now been in place for 10 years. The Secretary General also expressed his gratitude to ADA for the trust placed in HOPE’87 and the financing of the project at the time and wished the staff of the Education Center all the best for the next 10 years!

Watch the pictures to see a group photo, the speech of H.E.President of the RM, Maia Sandu and of the Secretary General of HOPE’87, Mr Robert Ottitsch!