A.O. “Perspectiva” – Youth, Education and Change

Within the project “Promoting Youth Services and Non-Formal Education in the Cahul Region”, the team of the Regional Center for Community Development conducted a new interview, this time with the Public Association “Perspectiva.” In this discussion, the significant contribution of the organization to the community was highlighted, through various activities and their profound impact on young people in the region. For more details, we invite you to read the full article below.

Tell us about the history, mission, and vision of the organization.
The organization was founded in 2004 with the mission of developing civic initiatives among young people through informative activities, exchange of good practices, and cooperation between young people and youth organizations. Its broader vision is a world where every child and young person has access to education, all their rights are respected, especially the rights to life, protection, development, and participation.

What are the fundamental values of the organization?
At the heart of our mission are young people and our team of young members, whom we consider our most precious value. We invest in them to help them become responsible adults, with a strong civic spirit, ready to contribute to the development of our community. Furthermore, the community itself represents a fundamental value for us. Through our young people, we invest in this community to promote an increasing number of civic initiatives. Thus, we actively contribute to the civic development of the entire community. Transparency is another core value that guides all our initiatives, ensuring that our actions are fair and responsible. Last but not least, equity is a fundamental principle in our relations with team members, beneficiaries, and all associated individuals.

What are the main areas of activity?
The main field of the organization is youth. Practically everything we do – activities, projects, events – is oriented toward youth development.

What notable achievements have you recorded in recent years, and how have they contributed to improving community life?
The most important and impactful achievement of Perspectiva is the Youth Fund Project, which has already reached its 11th edition. This project has contributed and continues to contribute significantly to the development of several generations of young people, in whom we invest greatly so that they engage as much as possible in community life and, through their initiatives, strengthen civic spirit among more members of our society. This project helps create young people who want to and actually do change things in the community.

Tell us more about the Youth Fund.
The Youth Fund is a project supported by the East-European Foundation, through which we contribute to the transformation of young people. Currently, we have 25 active members within the fund, with whom we organize various activities. This project is highly significant both for Perspectiva and for the young people involved. Here, young people experience deep personal growth, finding support and building a valuable network of contacts. A kind of magic happens here, an inexplicable transformation that helps them progress. We are proud to see that former members of the fund become remarkable people; a notable example is Vlad Sabajuc, also known as Satoshi, who was a member of our organization for two years.

How can other young people become volunteers within the organization?
To become volunteers in our organization, young people must participate in the selection contest scheduled in the coming months. To stay informed about the exact period of the contest, we invite you to follow our social media pages. Clear selection criteria will be applied. We will look for young people with a clear vision of their future, who know what they want to achieve in the next five years. We will also pay attention to charismatic young people and those who already have skills in a certain field, whose development we can further support. Essentially, we will select motivated young people eager to actively engage in our activities.

What are the responsibilities of a volunteer in your organization?
Within the Youth Fund, there are two levels of involvement: volunteer and member. In the first approximately six months, young people are engaged as volunteers, contributing to the implementation of our initiatives, participating in meetings, coordinating various activities with the support of our team. They also maintain contact with our partners and support in various other planned activities. After this initial period, volunteers are invited to become members of the fund. As members, they take on greater responsibilities, being involved in a wider range of tasks with specific deadlines. They also benefit from more advantages and opportunities within our organization.

What benefits does volunteering bring to young people who wish to join your organization?
By engaging in various activities and projects, young people have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally. They learn to work in teams, manage projects, and communicate effectively. Volunteering also offers them a platform to develop new skills and discover their passions and interests.

What are the biggest challenges you currently face, and how do you address them?
The reduction of the budget for the Youth Fund project is one of the challenges we face, but we are grateful for the constant support from the City Hall. Another major issue is the limited accessibility for young people from villages due to public transportation – meaning they sometimes find it difficult to participate in evening activities. To address this, we make efforts to adapt to their schedules so as not to cause them discomfort. Recruiting staff interested in working in a non-governmental organization is also a significant challenge, one of the main reasons being the low salary. However, the biggest challenge remains the lack of financial resources and the insufficiency of new projects, especially in the youth field.

What other resources would be necessary for the smooth running of your activities?
We wish to see included in projects and budgets a component dedicated to the development of the organization’s team as a whole, not just for the specific implementation of each project. This means organizing training and capacity-building sessions to strengthen the team’s skills, ensuring long-term impact and better performance in all our initiatives.

What is the importance of your entity for the Cahul region?
Our entity’s importance for the Cahul region is significant because we actively contribute to the development of young people, who then become drivers of change and progress in our community. Through our youth-focused projects, we provide opportunities for education, personal development, and civic engagement, thus creating future leaders and responsible citizens.

What is the central message you wish to convey to the youth of Cahul?
We want to tell the young people of Cahul that it is perfectly normal to make mistakes, as they are valuable learning opportunities. By experimenting and trying new things, they will learn and grow. We understand that mistakes can be difficult, but they contribute to each person’s maturity and personal growth. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!

The organization can be found at: 11 Republicii St., Cahul
Email: aoperspectiva@gmail.com
Phone: 060779700

This interview was conducted by the Regional Center for Community Development within the local initiative “Promoting Youth Services and Non-Formal Education in Cahul.” The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), within the regional project “Strengthening Civil Society in the Eastern Partnership Countries.”

Project partner: CONTACT Center.