Perserverance and Participation Pay Off at Alecu Russo Lyceum

The outdoor restroom of the Alecu Russo lyceum in Orhei is 100 meters from the school and is shared by pedestrians from the town market and stadium. Every school day, in fair weather or foul, students from the Alecu Russo theoretical lyceum in Orhei cross the 100 meter divide from their school building to the outhouse. In 1995, the school’s heating system failed, causing the water pipes to freeze and burst. Since then there have been neither running water nor functioning student restrooms. According to the State Sanitation Service of the Ministry of Health, use of outdoor toilets also used by pedestrians from the town market and stadium creates an infectious disease hazard for the students. When IREX’s Moldova Citizen Participation Program (CPP) conducted a site visit in Orhei to share information about its opportunities for citizen initiatives, a group of concerned school supporters jumped at the opportunity to better the students’ environment. Funded by USAID and administered by IREX, CPP is a five-year program to strengthen the capacity of citizens to use democratic processes to create tangible and positive change in their communities. Through CPP, IREX increases citizens’ awareness of their potential to make a difference and promotes local self-reliance while improving living and social conditions in over 200 communities throughout Moldova.

The situation at Alecu Russo is all too typical for many Moldovan schools. The economic crisis of the early 1990s, coupled with a severe shortage of fuel, cut power and heat in homes and schools and caused dependent water systems to rupture and fail. Without adequate funding, school administrators manage with makeshift solutions, building brick fireplaces and outhouse toilets while continuing to appeal for scarce city, province, and donor monies.

By 2003, parents and teachers at Alecu Russo grew tired of waiting; they formed an Association of Parents and Teachers and directly secured funding from the Orhei City Hall to install an autonomous heating system. Energized by their early success, the Association then applied to the city and a slew of donors for support to fix the water system and renovate the lyceum restrooms. “It wasn’t easy. Our project was rejected several times and we thought that this kind of project was not funded in Moldova,” said lyceum teacher Aliona Ghenu.

In December 2004, the vice president of the Association gathered parents and teachers to share information about CPP. “We instantly realized that there was an opportunity for us, and the basic design of the project was unanimously accepted by everyone,” said lyceum director Margareta Paiul. “The CPP community forum showed us what was missing—that the key was to get all the stakeholders in the community to participate.”

Citizens, parents, teachers, students, local government, and Peace Corps volunteers joined together to finalize the plan to replace the water system and renovate student restrooms. Citizens are involved in every phase of the project, from design to unskilled volunteer labor (demolition) to planning for sustainable maintenance of the new facilities. In May 2005, IREX’s CPP awarded funding for the implementation of this project.

“We also made sure that the commitment and participation of citizens, partners, and beneficiaries will be long term. We collected letters of guarantee and signed agreements with all our partners, ensuring that our plan for maintaining the water system would be fulfilled,” said Constantin Godonoaga, president of the Association of Parents and Teachers.

The “Health Is in Your Hands” project of the Alecu Russo lyceum is one of six projects funded in the first round of grants within the Moldova Citizen Participation Program.

By September 1, the Moldovan Day of Knowledge marking the start of the new school term, over 1,000 children and teachers at Alecu Russo lyceum will be able to share in the joy of seeing the result of their long-standing efforts: clean and sanitary restrooms, warm running water, a sense of accomplishment, and revitalized energy to address other community needs.