The experience and contribution of the NGO Lumos Moldova to promoting the observance of children’s rights in Moldova by developing a model of social-educational inclusion of children with special educational needs, which was implemented in the districts of Ialoveni and Floresti, were appreciated with the Overall Award at the prestigious British competition Charity Awards, staged annually by Civil Society Media, IPN reports.

The judges were so impressed by Lumos Foundation’s work in Moldova and throughout Eastern Europe that they chose it as the winner not only of the international aid and development category, but for the biggest prize of the night.

The 16th competition involved about 200 projects implemented by NGOs in the UK and the whole world. Lumos Moldova completed the application for participation based on the results obtained within the project “Development and Promotion of Inclusive Education”.

Irina Malanciuc, director of Lumos Moldova, said she was really surprised to have won. “I am very impressed by this evening. Each and every one of the charities here are doing very good jobs. I would like to say thank you to this country for the help you have given to mine, which is one of the poorest in Europe - you have helped people and families who live in difficult conditions,” she stated.

In 2007, with support from Lumos, Moldova’s government pledged to reform its childcare system, closing institutions and replacing them with family and community-based services. The charity found that while non-disabled children were easy to place back into families, disabled children faced being left behind, as Moldova had no system to allow inclusive education in local mainstream schools for thousands of disabled children living away from home in grim residential special schools. So Lumos set about creating inclusive educational services from scratch. By now the number of institutionalized children in Moldova has reduced by 80% and the Moldovan government has drafted a new action plan for complete deinstitutionalization for the period up to 2020.

The gala presentation dinner in London brought together 600 charity sector leaders, politicians and celebrities.

Lumos is an international nongovernmental organization implementing child rights protection projects in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Greece, and Haiti.