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The initiative group from Larga Noua develops a community center to promote the entrepreneurial education among young people

The initiative group from Larga Noua develops a community center to promote the entrepreneurial education among young people

On May 25, our team visited the partner community Larga Noua, Cahul district, a small village (1,527 inhabitants) with Bulgarian ethnicity, but also populated by other ethnic groups (Russians and Ukrainians). The village is located on green and picturesque hills in the southern region of Moldova. The main occupations of the population are cattle breeding, beekeeping, and agriculture.

We got acquainted with the activity of the initiative group “Largenii Cutezatori” which is now working on arranging and equipping a community center in order to promote the entrepreneurial education among young people.

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The project entitled “Craft – The Gold Bracelet” will give young people the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities in the field of carpentry, embroidery, drilling, pyrography, and quilling, thus valuing the creative and entrepreneurial potential of youth and adults.

The art of handicraft is common for the south of Moldova, which unites the ethnic groups, such as Bulgarians, Gagauz, Russians, Roma, and Ukrainians.

The initiative was launched by the local initiative group “Largenii Cutezatori” within the Minority Empowerment Program in Moldova (MEM PLUS) and supported by the local school “Alexandru cel Bun” which provided the space. The LPA purchased three fire extinguishers and neons for lighting the room, the local entrepreneurs offered financial resources worth 6,000 MDL (cca. 350 USD) for the equipment, the community and the Public Library of Larga Noua collected money and bought a sewing machine and raw material worth 3,200 MDL (cca. 185 USD). The total value of the project is 28,000 MDL (cca. 1,645 USD).

The action is part of the Community Empowerment Strategy developed by the initiative group following a participatory process of consulting the community and evaluating the available resources.

The community has an informative community center equipped with a reading room, a computer room, a children’s education room and a meeting room where the initiative group meets periodically. The librarian and the facilitator of the initiative group is Ms. Liudmila Strahoteanu.

We also met the mayor of Larga Noua, Tatiana Maidan, with whom we discussed the community difficulties and necessities during the pandemic period.

We are very happy for their community successes.

For a virtual tour of Larga Noua, please visit the Facebook page of the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi):