For two years, BOL’s ‘Man’s Zone’ project has been serving young men from vulnerable families. These 20 boys were completing their professional studies at vocational schools. Orphaned, or from broken poor families, they had low life skills and no money for higher education. This category of men becomes very vulnerable to labor trafficking.  Also, since the majority of the boys experienced violence in the family or in trade school, they are at increased risk of becoming aggressors or consumers of sexual services themselves.

If people in the cities don’t really worry about heating in winter, as they have central heating or gas, for people in rural areas of Moldova it is an essential issue. The only source of heat in the winter, and for cooking during the year, is firewood. For families with adult or young men to bring and cut firewood, it’s not a big deal. But for poor families with old people or single mothers with little children, it’s a real problem. They receive firewood for the winter from local authorities, but then have to saw up and chop the logs themselves. Aware of this need, BOL created ‘Saw of Goodness’, a volunteer project for young and strong men who are not indifferent to other people’s needs.

We are glad to share with you the news that in February 2014 our team was joined by a new member – a professional psychiatrist and psychologist. In recent years we have had many cases where we needed to appeal to hospital mental health specialists to help girls in our rehabilitation program. Working with victims of human trafficking and violence, we have seen how their deep trauma has caused mental disorders. Also we noticed an alarming tendency towards a growing number of young people with deep psychological problems and mental disorders.