On August 13, 2024, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) launched a new project dedicated to young people in the Republic of Moldova – “Youth Leaders at the Table”. The project comes in support of the well-known ”Comunitatea Mea” program, implemented by iREX in Moldova with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Moldova.
This 12-month project will mobilize young people from five rural communities of Moldova, with the main objective of empowering young people and improving youth policies at local level. Through this initiative, iRi aims to stimulate the active participation of young people in community life and to contribute to the sustainable development of their communities in close partnership with LPAs.
The event was attended by mayors, deputy mayors, LPA officials, teachers and young people representing the 5 partner communities of the project: Gribova, Drochia district, Sireti, Straseni district, Ciuciuleni, Hincesti district, Sculeni, Ungheni district, Cismichioi, ATU Gagauzia.
”Our project comes as a response to the real needs of young people in rural areas, offering them a framework in which they can actively participate in decision-making processes and contribute to the development of their communities, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to support the town halls in the process of developing and promoting public policies for youth”. – Tatiana Cosuleanu, iRi executive director.
The event was also attended by representatives of the Comunitatea Mea program and IREX who came with a word of greeting and encouragement for the 5 communities selected in the project:
”You may ask why do we, Comunitatea Mea, in addition to other donors include young people in the program? The answer is obvious. The country’s fundamental problem is demography. We have been going downhill for about twenty years now. The objective of the USAID is to create good conditions for all citizens and especially for young people who want to build European Moldova. It goes without saying that young people are the driving force of development together with the experience of senior citizens in the Republic of Moldova”. – Daniel Serban, director of the Comunitatea Mea program.
The launch event also included a series of interactive discussions between participants, who exchanged ideas and opinions on both the new project and the AVANTE implementation mechanism.
”Through this project I very much want to develop the skills of young people from our community, especially the practical skills of getting involved in social initiatives, creating local partnerships and increasing the level of participation in community projects. In a word, we want to thaw the young people in our community”. – Elena Tasca, education specialist and teacher, Ciuciuleni, Hincesti district.
Participants also discussed the realities facing young people in their communities and took part in practical exercises proposed during the event.
”Young people in our community need such initiatives to develop their skills and learn to assume leadership roles. I am glad to be part of this project and to contribute to the development of our community”. – Mariana Smiglu, youth leader, Sculeni, Ungheni district.
iRi and the partners will facilitate a series of community mobilization processes in the 5 communities with the specific target of empowering young people and bringing them closer to LPAs.
You can see the photo album of the event on the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) Facebook page.
This project is implemented by the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) and local partners with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Comunitatea Mea program, implemented by IREX.