Moldova: School for autistic children

A few years ago, SOS Autism Moldova created the only school for the care of autistic children in the country. The school welcomes 35 children and teenagers today, age 2 -16. Its good reputation results from high quality care and teaching. Even though the school is officially recognized, the state does not support it financially. Funds exclusively come from parental contributions and are relatively low as Moldova has the highest poverty level in Europe. The school’s sanitary facilities are in a deplorable state – no heating, no isolation, a bad ventilation system and old toilet and wash hand basins not suitable for the younger children. The governmental threatened to close the school if no renovations are made. Therefore, the BRIDGES project aims at renovating the sanitary facilities in order to prevent the school’s closure and to safeguard its services for autistic children in Moldova.      

Photo, left: "Ilona", school director, right: Angela Santens
 
This project was undertaken by Angela Santens.