SUCCESS STORY

 Volunteering at an old age

“I have two neighbors, one is paralyzed and another is blind. Several times a week I go to help them with errands. I help my paralyzed neighbor with going outdoors and with doing some cleaning for him. I help my blind neighbor with errands such as going to the bank to pick up his monthly pension or buy food for him.” This is how Vadim Boiarschi, a 77 year old retiree, describes his work as a volunteer with Soarta, a Soroca-based NGO that serves the needs of the elderly.

Through their project “Volunteering at an old age” funded by USAID’s Moldova Civil Society Strengthening Program (MCSSP), Soarta works to support volunteering with NGOs among the elderly in order to encourage active participation in a population that often is marginalized. Soarta formed a group of 20 active, elderly volunteers in July; the group meets weekly and, during the rest of the week, pay home visits to other elderly people who need assistance. The effort improves the quality of life of both a core group of active elderly volunteers—like Vadim—who otherwise might not have a purposeful way to fill their time and of their more disabled peers, who cannot leave home or have difficulty caring for themselves easily.

Vadim looks forward to the weekly group meetings and has not missed a day of his volunteering work: “I really like the courses and the staff. There are occupations that make my days fly away unnoticed.” However, he adds that only a few of his fellow retirees know that volunteering is an option for older Moldovans: “Here, for the first time, I have heard the word ‘volunteer.’ I have learned how to provide support to the lonely people, how to communicate with them, and help them overcome loneliness.” Soarta Director Asea Railean shares the same opinion: “In Moldova, volunteerism is mainly promoted among young people; whereas volunteering for the elderly was left by itself. It would be an asset for the government to motivate elderly people to engage in volunteering activities”.

To promote volunteering, Soarta manages a network of 15 NGOs active in volunteering, providing training and exchanging best practices with the members of the network. To ensure visibility of volunteering activities, the network members are planning to organize, in the north-eastern part of the country, an advocacy campaign to promote and support volunteer involvement among elderly people.