August 27 has a double meaning for Maria Negru, a mother of two from Costești, Ialoveni. She was born today 33 years ago, the day Moldova proclaimed its independence, a coincidence she is very proud of. Maria thinks that Moldova is a young country in which we must invest a lot of work to ensure prosperity.

“Although Moldova has not yet achieved all its aspirations and the journey to independence was often difficult, each of us needs to contribute to building a prosperous country, in order to demonstrate to all foreigners that here, too, we can lead happy lives”, Maria Negru tells IPN.

Ever since she was a child, everybody wished Maria on her birthday to “stay independent”. At a young age, she did not fully grasp the meaning of those words, but as she grew up, she realized that they have a special importance both for her and for the entire Republic of Moldova.

“Our generation and the ones that follow are generations that must put aspirations into practice and appreciate the efforts of the generation that made Moldova’s independence possible. Some people really wanted freedom. Now we have it. The question is what do we do with it next? Do we take it as a given and think we’ll never lose it? Do we let others fight for it in our stead? Do we go the easier way, or do we choose to build a European Moldova here at home?”, Maria asks rhetorically.

The woman celebrated today says she feels a deep spiritual connection with Moldova and wants her two sons, 6 and 3, to speak proper Romanian and promote national values. During a period spent in the UK with her family, homesickness was always present, which confirmed to Maria that she would not be able to settle permanently abroad. “Wherever my steps might take me, Moldova will always be my home”, says Maria.

The woman believes that this year can be a maturity test for Moldova, almost as important as the proclamation of independence and the April 2009 events, which had a profound impact on her and her family. “It is the moment when we must say out loud in which direction we want to take our country. And I am confident that our voice will be strong enough to celebrate together after the referendum the desire to be with the other countries, in the European Union. I strongly believe that Moldova deserves to be free and live in peace and well-being”, concluded Maria.

Maria Negru graduated from the former University of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, obtained a bachelor’s degree in exact sciences, a master’s degree in exact sciences and a master’s degree in natural sciences. She worked for a good part of the time at the university, and during her childcare leave she chose to work in an early childhood education institution.