On December 14, 2023, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) celebrated two decades of its activity. On the occasion of the anniversary, the organization’s team, together with its guests, mayors, councilors, members of initiative groups, NGOs from all over the country and guests from the United States of America, gathered like family to celebrate the successes of 20 years of work.
“I am touched that all the guests we invited, the people we worked with, considered this event important, left those core activities they have at home and came to congratulate us, to enjoy with us. With your help and that of our development partners we managed to reach 132 localities in 29 districts of the country. I don’t know if it’s a little or a lot – but we did what we could to change our country for the better. I am sure, that 20 years later our communities, our country is at another level of development. And it is thanks to you. Thank you!..” – said Tatiana Cosuleanu, executive director of the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi), in her opening speech.
Tatiana’s full speech can be read here.
The first Institute for Rural Initiatives project was funded by the U.S. Embassy two decades ago, and support for iRi’s work in rural communities has continued to this day!
“We are very happy to have worked with iRi throughout its existence. We have worked together since the beginning, since 2003. I am proud that we have been able to work together because it’s an organization that focuses on long-term action and impact. We have seen in the communities where they have worked, even after the projects have ended, the citizens remain engaged, the groups that have been developed because of iRi remain active, so we are happy to see the impact they have had in communities across Moldova, from north to south.” – Ehsan Aleaziz, political officer, US Embassy in Moldova.
In its 20 years of activity, iRi has managed to develop several partnerships and collaborations at the local level, and their impact is still felt today.
“It’s a very good support for local authorities that want to show transparency, local authorities that want to have an open collaboration with citizens, and that would like to mobilize their communities.” – Constantin Cecoi, mayor of the village of Carbuna, district of Ialoveni.
“iRi is an engine that got us moving, with which worked and dedicated ourselves to children, we sharpened many brains, a number of community activities were carried out, children grew up with the projects implemented by iRi.” – Nadejda Dobanda, the first partner of iRi in 2003, in the community of Zirnesti, district of Cahul.
“On the occasion of this anniversary, I would like to wish iRi not to stop here, to continue to implement important social projects throughout the country, as many communities as possible to be involved.” – Galina Capsomun, secretary of the Local Council, community of Gaidar, ATU Gagauzia.
“The 20th anniversary is such a time when you seem to have a lot of achievements, but at the same time you have a lot of ideas. I think we would like iRi to find a new niche and space where there are many challenges.” – Serghei Mihailov, NGO Beginning of Life, Chisinau.
Going forward, iRi will continue to do exactly the same thing, perhaps a little differently – given the lessons learned over 2 decades, but also given the new passion: holistic rural development in Moldova.