Today, on September 15, 2016, the first psychological and legal counselling room has been opened in Hancesti by V. Plahotniuc’s Edelweiss Foundation. The counselling room has been designed for receiving women and children in need of support in cases of domestic violence and counselling them.
“The counselling room had been set up for those in need of advice and support in cases of domestic violence. They can come here and feel safe, they won’t be judged. The counselling room is staffed with professional psychologists and legal counsellors, who are trained to provide counselling in order to teach the victims of domestic violence how to respond to acts of domestic violence and how to access assistance and support”, Lara Moraru, the Edelweiss executive director, explained.  

The counselling room is operational from today; it is situated in the Pro-Femina maternal centre at 238, M. Hancu Street. The counselling room works Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 to 18:00; for counselling, the staff may be contacted also by the phone at (0 269) 233 64. All services are free. The costs of the counselling room operation are covered by the Edelweiss Foundation.

The inauguration ceremony of the counselling room for victims of domestic violence was held in the presence of experts in children’s rights, representatives of local authorities responsible for family protection, and local citizens interested in promoting the messages of the campaign against domestic violence.
“It is important that the counselling room has been opened in Hancesti. Earlier we used to refer the victims to Chisinau and it was rather difficult and inconvenient”, said Tamara Calugarul, head of social assistance and family protection directorate in Hancesti district council.

The Edelweiss initiative was welcomed by Ana Placinta, director of Mihai Eminescu Liceum of Hancesti, “Until today, our community did not use to have such services for victims. It is important to have such counselling rooms everywhere in the country for the security of every family and every child”.    
The counselling room in Hancesti is the first of its kind. More such rooms are set to open for victims of domestic violence. Opening of the counselling room is one of the series of events in the framework of the „Protected families” nationwide information campaign held at the initiative of the V. Plahotniuc’s Foundation.   

To date, numerous volunteers have responded to the appeal by the campaign initiators and organizers to participate in the campaign. They help distributing information materials so that as many people as possible become aware of how to seek assistance and support in case of domestic violence.