On the 24th of May 2024, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) organized a public interest event to present the rural youth integration model – ”YouthACT Ready” through the lens of intervention models. This event brought together 50 young people from 25 communities across the country, NGOs, government representatives, civil society representatives, the Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova and the US Embassy in Moldova.
The event started with greetings and the presentation of the ”YouthACT Ready” model forged within the YEP program during 4 years of activity, a project focused on the development of the youth sector in rural areas of Moldova.
”Within the event we talked about the young people who got involved in the YEP project, about empowering young people in rural areas, about the results achieved by these young people. In the project we invested in young people, local authorities, youth empowerment activities to encourage them to get involved in community life. We have created a model that is being tested and can be replicated in other rural communities in Moldova.” – Tatiana Cosuleanu, iRi Executive Director.
”When we started the YEP project, we set out to change the way young people interact with local authorities at all levels and to increase the level of participation of young people in rural areas. Our questionnaires show that when asked why young people don’t get involved, over 60% answered that nobody asked them to get involved. Both in Moldova and the US, young people are leaving in droves, so it is very important to keep young people connected to the community, relevant and part of their community, because young people are energetic, full of enthusiasm, creativity and ideas. I am very happy to say today that the YEP project has brought many successes to rural communities in the RM.” – Deb Martin, Program Coordinator, GLCAP, Ohio, USA.
At the event, the guests, representatives of local and central public authorities, addressed messages of support and appreciation for the results of the YEP project and the possibility of continuing and replicating the project:
”I think this event is very important, because it is the reward for the results you have achieved over 4 years. Even if at the central level we have developed several policies, which come to create platforms for youth participation, come to create conditions for the personal development of these young people, it is however a challenge for us at the system level to implement these projects at the local level, in view of the lack of infrastructure at the central level. Local public authorities do not have the human and financial resources needed to carry out certain projects in rural areas. The YEP project comes as a rescue for us, it comes to provide real development opportunities for young people, it comes to provide tools for young people to get involved and participate in the decision-making process and community life.” – Larisa Macarenco, Senior Consultant, Youth Policy Directorate, Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova.
”When you came with the YEP project in the community, we were very happy. You started to invest in our young people, to empower them. Along the way, we have noticed that they have developed their leadership and volunteer skills, they have started to get also involved in other projects, even if it seems like a long way. I want to come with a message to all young people: get involved, communicate as a group, take responsibility, because it is very exciting. Wherever you will be/work, with these skills you will find it very easy to manage/adapt to the environment. Thank you to iRi, all partners, central authorities for supporting our rural youth, an important resource in the community.” – Svetlana Racul, mayor of Boscana, Criuleni district.
During the first panel, young beneficiaries talked about a number of success stories but also about some challenges and personal observations on practical ways to replicate the model of youth integration and involvement in other rural communities in Moldova. These presentations highlighted the benefits of the program and provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for youth integration in rural areas in the coming period.
”As a facilitator, I had the privilege of witnessing the transformation and growth of the potential of young people in rural communities in northern Moldova. Together we developed and invested in rural youth, created partnership bridges to local authorities, encouraging them to support the youth sector and young people to get involved in local decision-making processes for a better life.” – Mariana Bruma, facilitator Northern Region, Drochia town.
In the second panel, participants presented practical solutions to ensure the functionality, representativeness and impact of the initiative groups in the 30 YEP beneficiary communities. Discussions focused on involving local authorities more actively in supporting youth groups and managing force-majeure situations. These sessions were essential to identify and share the best practices that can be applied across the country.
”Being asked directly what young people can do to help the LPA, so that the LPA can help young people, is to actively maintain social networks to make our initiative group’s work visible, to carry out concrete actions (projects, initiatives) to show that young people can be useful for society, not just for entertainment.” – Maria Delibaltova, initiative group leader, Corten, Taraclia district.
Although the YEP project ends here, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) will continue to empower young people in Moldovan villages and contribute to the development of Moldova’s rural youth sector.
For more information about this project or for partnership proposals, please contact the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) at office@iri.md
The activity is part of the project “Youth Empowerment Program (YEP)” implemented by the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) in partnership with GLCAP, Ohio, USA with the support of the US Department of State.
You can see the photo album of the event on the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) Facebook page: