MOL Romania and the Community Foundation announce the start of the 12th edition of the MOL Program for Children’s Health, intended for non-governmental organizations that carry out emotional therapy projects or psychosocial interventions for children with special needs or chronic diseases.

At this year’s edition of the MOL Program for Children’s Health, total funds of 400,000 lei are available. The maximum amount that can be accessed to finance a project is of 25,000 lei. Interested NGOs can apply online for funding until December 2.

During the launch event of the new edition of the Program, which was organized online this year, the NGOs that received funding in the previous edition presented the results of projects carried out between December 2019 and October 2020. In particular, discussion focused on the ways in which NGOs have adapted their methods and projects to the restrictions generated by the pandemic context. Those present shared the experience gained this year and talked about the impact of the current situation on their work.

Of the 18 organizations that obtained funding in 2019, seven have completed the proposed projects and seven are in various stages of implementation, adapting the initial methods or finding new solutions, compatible with the unforeseen planning conditions. Two therapeutic camp projects are to be rescheduled and two more projects will be restructured. Within the completed or ongoing projects during the 11 months, over 500 children with special needs benefited from art therapy activities – music and assisted music, Phronetic art therapy, combined art therapies (using drawing, modeling, painting or collage), dance and movement and role-playing games; animal assisted therapies; emotional therapies – theater and mask making, story therapy and therapeutic stories.

“The pandemic that broke out earlier this year brought us all to unprecedented major challenges. These accentuated the difficulties that children with special needs, those with disabilities or chronic diseases, as well as their families, went through on a daily basis. A proper rethinking of the interventions was needed for them, and the specialists from the partner organizations showed a lot of professionalism and adapted to the new conditions. MOL Romania continues to stay with those who develop projects to generate a change for the better in the lives of young beneficiaries,” said Camelia Ene, CEO and Country Chairman of MOL Romania.