CHISINAU, 19 Martie 2009 — Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic Community and operates in 100 countries around the world. CRS serves the impoverished and disadvantaged based on need, regardless of their race, religion or ethnicity. CRS’ HIV and AIDS programming extends to 52 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, encompassing more than 250 HIV and AIDS projects in the poorest and most vulnerable areas of the developing world, with an expenditure of over $120 million in 2007 alone. This year, CRS will directly help more than 4 million people affected by the pandemic. Catholic Relief Service, after numerous meetings with Moldovan government officials and area NGOs, has identified HIV prevention activities among rural youth as a gap in current HIV programming in Moldova. CRS will seek to fill this gap in part by providing programming for rural Moldovan youth through a youth behavior change program, which will be provided to youth as a village-based community activity. For this reason, CRS will complement its youth centered behavior change efforts with a community sensitization effort designed to fortify preventative behaviors within communities, thus providing a conducive environment for individuals to learn and practice responsible behavior, as well as an environment where people living with HIV (PLHIV) or people who may have engaged in risky behavior feel comfortable seeking help. To carry out this effort, CRS will adapt to the Moldovan context an existing training program entitled We Stop AIDS. In this context CRS wishes to invite NGO’s, private businesses, and individuals in Moldova and elsewhere to submit their bids for the development of the “Supportive Environment” training course (approximately 16 hours), “the Parent-Child Communication” training (approximately 8 hours), or both. Bids for the development of both training packages may be submitted together. For further details concerning what CRS currently envisions with respect to the content of each training course please contact: Oleg Ciobanu Procurement Officer Catholic Relief Services 106, Columna street Chisinau, MD-2012 Tel: +(373-22) 226065 (ext.110) Fax: +(373-22) 229542 Mob:+(373) 068855882 E-mail: ociobanu@eme.crs.org