Project title
“Learn. Discuss. Act: empowering youth and local stakeholders for increasing the influence of youth on local, district and national levels”
About the project in a nutshell
The project aims to catalyse change in youth sector by bolstering youth participation in Moldova through a number of targeted interventions meant to increase the influence of youth on local, regional and national levels.
Spearheaded by iRi, the project will integrate rigorous training, mentoring, community exchanges, and impactful internships within governmental institutions to foster sustainable youth development.
Leveraging iRi’s extensive experience with youth organizations and initiative groups working in over 80 communities, the project will focus on 5 different communities, in 5 different districts of Moldova so that more diverse communities can participate (rural, semi-urban, populated by minorities, remote geographically etc.).
Key objectives in the project include equipping both youth initiative groups and local decision-makers with the needed tools for an effective youth engagement.
The project aims to empower young people with vital skills, knowledge while offering a de facto space for their mobilizing and interaction as they learn to self-mobilize, become responsible citizens while making themselves heard and actively engaging in the transformative actions of their communities.
Background/context analysis
Official reports (National Bureau for Statistics, UNFPA, Ministry of Education and Research etc.) indicate that the situation for young people in Moldova is increasingly challenging, necessitating urgent and effective public policy interventions, especially in rural regions being the most disadvantaged and poorest youth policies. According to National Bureau for Statistics, currently, Moldovan youth make up to 25% of Moldova’s population. Alarmingly, 27% of Moldova’s young people are classified as NEET significantly higher than in neighbouring Romania (19%) and considerably above the EU average of 11.2%.
Geographic location
Community 1: Cahul town
Community 2: Drochia town
Community 3: Lingura village, Cantemir district
Community 4: Boscana village, Criuleni district
Community 5: Roșcani village, Anenii Noi village
Project objectives
- Objective 1. Provide support to youth civic groups and local administrations to overcome barriers to civic engagement and grow youth influence in the region.
- Objective 2. Establish partnerships and facilitate in-country exchanges to reinforce the participation capacities, dialogue and interaction with LPAs including local and regional LPAs.
Project expected outcomes
- Increased civic engagement skills and participation in decision making processes of 50 youth in 5 communities
- Reduced barriers to civic engagement for marginalized youth residing in 5 communities (approx. 700 youth benefiting)
- Strengthened networks and collaborations between youth-led groups and local/regional LPAs in 5 communities
- Increased cooperation and openness of 5 local administrations
Sustainability
It is expected that the project will be sustainable and have a multiplier effect as the 5 community-based youth groups become trained in conducting organizing and vocal in further advocacy campaigns. It is anticipated that the national and local reference formed during the project will remain active after the project ends. The 5 youth groups will continue their work also because of the policy basis created/reinforced in the project (namely the 5 actions plans and the Youth Influencers’ Counsel). After participating in the project’s trainings and mentoring settings, having the experience of conducting successful organizing and/or advocacy efforts, these youth groups will be confident going forward about continuing their efforts. This will cultivate a cohort of empowered youth leaders who are well-prepared to influence and drive community and national development sustainably positively impacting the youth sector in Moldova.
Disclaimer: This initiative is implemented with the support of the “EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment” project, co-funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).