site.btaTaraclia Youth Center to Engage Young People through Bulgarian-Supported Project

The Vassil Levski District Youth Multicultural Center in Taraclia, Moldova, will implement the project “Youth in Focus: Mobile Youth Center for Inclusion”, targeting young people from five villages in the Taraclia district - Balabanu, Novoselovka, Aluatu, Dolna Albota, and Gorna Albota.

The project was developed under the Support Programme for Organizations of Bulgarian Communities in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Ukraine and Moldova and for Citizens of Bulgarian Ethnic Identity in North Macedonia. An agreement on the provision of grant funding has already been signed with the Embassy of Bulgaria in Chisinau, the Center’s director, Elena Naseka, told BTA. The total value of the project is EUR 7,200. It will run for three months, with all activities expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

The project will be implemented by a team from the Vassil Levski Youth Center,  including a youth activities coordinator and volunteers. Following its completion, an analysis of participants’ feedback and a final report are planned.

The main objective is to raise awareness of the Vassil Levski Youth Center among residents of the Taraclia district and encourage young people from the villages to participate in community and cultural life through interactive outreach activities held outdoors.

Five outreach interactive workshops are planned, one in each of the five locations. They will include an information and presentation session titled “Meet the Center,” a creative art laboratory called “Express Yourself,” an interactive lecture and discussion club, and an evening mobile open-air cinema.

One of the project’s specific objectives is to promote Bulgarian culture and identity among the younger generation in the region through contemporary interactive formats. The project will also provide young people with information about opportunities for personal and professional development offered by the center.

The direct target group includes at least 100 young people aged 14 to 18 from the five villages. According to the project proposal, the initiatives are expected to indirectly reach more than 500 local residents, including parents, teachers and representatives of the local administration.

The Vassil Levski Youth Multicultural Center in Taraclia was opened on November 1, 2023, by then-Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. The institution works with young people from communities across the Taraclia district, organizing educational, cultural and non-formal initiatives.