News

The best way to finalise one year of work is in the field with people who make day-to-day change

The best way to finalise one year of work is in the field with people who make day-to-day change

At the end of the year, the team of Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) visited our partners from the south and north of the country: Cazaclia village, Vulcanesti town ATU Gagauzia; and Maramonovca and Chetrosu villages Drochia rayon.

iRi team, led by Erica Ceka, chairman of iRi’s Management Board, had meetings with local initiative groups, representatives of the local public administration, entrepreneurs and community residents.

At the meetings were discussed challenges faced by local initiative groups, and further community development opportunities, as well.

Simultaneously, we familiarized our local partners with the new iRi initiative – MEM PLUS, and agreed on our common actions for the next two years (2018-2020).

Local authorities came across as very enthusiastic and open to implement iRi rural development model. In Cazaclia village, iRi team visited the park area, renovated within the MEM project. In our opinion is one of the most well-organized parks in the Republic of Moldova.

“It all started four years ago. It was a very long process, but we learned a lot. The trainings organized by iRi were key to making the change. Now we have a local initiative group, a sustainable partnership developed with LPA, we are writing projects, and we are planning to empower the economy of community as well,” stated Pelaghea Cioban, local facilitator from Cazaclia village, Ceadir Lunga.

iRi empowerment model of minority communities in rural areas of the country was developed during 2014-2018 in partnership with the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership with the financial support of U.S. State Department.

More photos from the event can be found on the Facebook page of the Institute for Rural Initiatives: