Transnistrian Communities Improve School Studying Conditions

The last days of August were bustling for teachers and parents in the Slobozia district of Moldova's Transnistria region as they anticipated the start of the new school year. Nine communities in the district have implemented school improvement projects and five were recognized by the Department of Education commission because their schools were among the best prepared for the new school year in Transnistria – Pervomaisk, Glinoe, Ternovca, Frunze and Ciobruciu.

Along with family, school is one of the basic social institutions in Moldova. Residents of Slobozia district demonstrated their commitment to ensuring a productive studying environment for their children through active participation in the series of community meetings involved in the Moldovan Citizen Program (CPP) grant process and continued community engagement. Community Initiative Groups (CIGs) formed as a result of CPP meetings in the district mobilized more than $220,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for gym renovations, furniture procurement, window replacement, school renovations, and small projects addressing youth issues. Their accomplishments did not go unnoticed. Irina Shvedul, deputy head of the Slobozia Educational Department, told the local newspaper, “these projects are maintaining the network of educational organizations; they create a positive environment for studies by improving the school’s physical conditions in our region.”

Despite their lack of knowledge about project implementation, residents of the district have worked closely with the local administrations to improve studying conditions for their children. Head of the Slobozia district administration, Vasilii Tishenko has supported these initiatives and personally collaborated with CPP to facilitate activities in the region. He concluded that “according to the results of the current evaluation of schools’ preparation for the new school year, all these educational institutions are ready to take pupils and provide them with optimal conditions for a productive studying process.”

The Moldova Citizen Participation Program (CPP) is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IREX.