Moldova Citizen Participation Program (CPP)

Ocnita Community Elders Lead the Way

The gas pipeline supplies Ocnita senior
citizens’ houses with gas .

Involving partners and their community, senior citizens take action to improve their community

Community members from a neighborhood in the Northern Moldovan town of Ocnita remember the times when their picturesque park and sports club were strong draws for the town’s residents and the provision of social services (bottled gas supply and waste removal) could be relied on. Unfortunately, before their involvement with the USAID-funded Citizen Participation Program (CPP), the neighborhood, made up mostly of senior citizens, could only reminisce about the past due to a worsening situation with garbage in their neighborhood and limited access to gas during the winter months. Despite the scale of the challenge, the community exhibited a strong commitment to the project’s objectives which drew the attention of the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) staff.

Acknowledging the daunting task of changing their physical environment and the behavior of community members, community leaders relied heavily on CPP trainings and workshops for guidance. Using their own initiative and skills derived from the workshops, the Community Initiative Group members secured partners’ support and the participation of citizens. The Group’s partners include the local government and the railroad company- the former actions of which resulted in most of the garbage dumping. In discussions with the local officials, the group members quickly found common ground with the local government which approved their gas system construction and waste collection action plan, as well as, committing to the purchase of a gas pressure regulator. To address the trash problem, the Group approached the railroad company which, in turn, responded to the citizens’ inquiry by removing the garbage and they even gave the Group free access to company owned gas. In addition, by using CPP’s participatory environmental assessment process, community members were able to launch an environmental campaign involving students and their parents in various competitions and awareness raising efforts.

Having obtained assistance for the development of the gas supply system, the initiative group now needed to think carefully about long term sustainability- hence, the development of the community’s Association of Gas Users. With this project completed, the empowered community members began seeking new opportunities to beautify and improve living conditions in their town. Vladimir Maister, the community initiative group’s leader, hopes that the success of the project will,  “…inspire the town’s youth  to take action and generate new initiatives”.  With the town’s elders leading the way the youth are sure to follow. 

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