Today, on October 28, the opening event of the pilot project of the JIMBA Safety Program—developed in Latvia—took place in Chișinău, Moldova. The goal of the project is to adopt Latvia’s best practices in preventing violence and child sexual abuse.
Since Moldova’s policy planning documents include a commitment to promote the protection of children’s rights, the country plans to implement Latvia’s proven approach. As part of the pilot project, the JIMBA Safety Steps Program will be introduced in 21 early childhood education institutions across Moldova.
“This is a special day, as for the first time in the history of the JIMBA Safety Program, we are beginning to share our experience internationally. In Moldova, as in many other parts of the world, child protection faces various challenges—such as lack of information, limited child participation, and insufficient response to cases of violence. Therefore, we see strong interest from both national-level decision-makers and leaders and teachers of educational institutions in the regions. We are delighted that now JIMBA’s agents will help show and teach children about safe and respectful relationships, reducing the risks of violence and especially sexual abuse against children—also beyond Latvia’s borders,” said Agnese Sladzevska, Board Member of Centrs Dardedze.
The opening event was attended by representatives from the Moldovan Ministry of Education and Research, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Council of Europe, the Child Helpline, the Chișinău Department of Education, other local education departments, Centrs Dardedze’s partner organization The Child Rights Information Centre Moldova (CRIC), as well as representatives from kindergartens where the JIMBA Safety Program will be piloted.
The JIMBA Safety Program is a preventive educational program developed by Centrs Dardedze to prevent violence and child sexual abuse. Its aim is to help children aged 5–10 understand personal boundaries, recognize safe and unsafe situations, and know which trusted adults they can turn to for help. The program’s central character, JIMBA, helps children learn practical safety skills in a playful and age-appropriate way—through discussions, games, and interactive activities. Preschool and primary school teachers are trained to make safety topics a natural part of children’s everyday life, not only through words but also through their own example.
The implementation of JIMBA Safety Program activities in Riga and in “JIMBA guest schools” is financially supported by the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia, while its implementation in Latvia’s regions takes place in cooperation with local municipalities. Currently, the JIMBA Safety Steps Program is implemented in 386 educational institutions across Latvia.
The project “Promoting the Protection of Children’s Rights in Moldova by Introducing Latvia’s Best Practice Example – the JIMBA Safety Steps Program” is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia with financial support from the state budget.