JILDP projects make people in Transnistria feel Moldova being closer to them

[Interview with Olesea Cruc, manager of the Community Empowerment Component of the Joint Integrated Local Development Program (JILDP)] [– JILDP has supported the implementation of many community development projects in the eastern districts of Moldova. What kind of projects are these and what is their impact in the Transnistrian region?] – The beneficiaries of the projects were the inhabitants of 16 villages, 11 located in the district of Camenca (out of the total 13) and 5 in the district of Grigoriopol. In the villages situated in the Transnistrian region, there are practically no NGOs to cooperate with, so we had to form initiative groups composed of different categories of beneficiaries, including vulnerable groups. JILDP addresses issues from a human rights and gender equality perspective. The implemented projects aimed to create conditions for social and cultural development in those areas. For example, one of the projects was to create better conditions for the provision of health care services, specifically by connecting local health centers to gas supply or by modernizing their heating systems, so that these centers are able to offer quality services in the cold period of the year as well. There were also projects aimed at supporting future mothers and actual mothers, projects to open athletic establishments and even a project to set up a dance room in the village of Rascov, Camenca, enabling the youth in these communities to enjoy a multilateral harmonious development. Also, some projects aimed at improving information levels among the population and this included trainings to improve computer literacy, internet communication skills and others. [– How did people in those communities reacted?] – Many refused to believe that someone actually came to their village to give them money so that they could do something useful for themselves, and asked nothing in exchange. On the western side (on the Nistru) people generally know what it means to cooperate with international organizations, are familiar with the notions of a project and community contribution. On the eastern bank, however, these things are little known because foreign donors have avoided the Transnistrian region for reasons that can be readily understood. Yet UNDP has been present in these areas with community development projects. I must say that a great deal of efforts have been made by the JILDP team to build “bridges of trust”. The results of these projects have been good. In most of the 16 villages, the initiative groups we cooperate with are rather active, looking for opportunities that would help them to launch new projects and solve the problems faced by those communities. Currently we are working with local consultants from Tiraspol who help the initiative groups develop their projects and apply for financing to other donors as well. [– You mentioned on one occasion that there were problems with collecting local contributions. Can you explain?] – JILDP assistance was 130,000 lei for each village, and the local contributions ranged, depending on the scale of the project, from 15 to 30 percent. Of course, people in these villages are not doing very well financially, but ultimately it was rather mistrust to blame for that... All the more since they had negative experiences in the past, when the contributions were collected but the actual results of the projects never appeared. [– What are the odds of solid NGOs appearing in those villages, which could perhaps play a role in the re-unification of the two sides of the Nistru? ] – We don't work with the de facto authorities of the Transnistrian region, we work with people, contributing to the resolution of some concrete local problems. But, as I already said, we have had in these villages several strong initiative groups which seek to develop further. This also depends on how much the authorities in Chisinau are willing to offer, as well as on international donor organizations. In what concerns the JILDP's Community Empowerment Component, we will continue to offer training to beneficiaries and initiative groups on how to identify opportunities to implement local development projects. I personally think that the economic and social development projects implemented in the Transnistrian region with the involvement of communities make them feel that Moldova is closer to them. [– JILDP also had projects in 11 villages located in the Security Zone. What were their particularities?] – The projects were mostly similar and aimed at improving conditions for some local institutions so that they are able to provide quality services to the population. In this case, JILDP worked with local authorities. In light of this summer's local elections, we held trainings for local officials on strategic planning, so that they are able to work out plans for the strategic development of their communities, to accurately gauge resources and opportunities. We identified together with those authorities a problem in the strategic development plan, for whose solution the UNDP offered financial and consultancy assistance. Both local authorities and people in those villages are very receptive, eager to involve themselves and contribute with new ideas. But there is a problem with reaching those villages. When our consultants or some materials need to reach there, they have to pass customs checkpoints. In spite of these difficulties, the results of the progress appear to be good. {The Joint Integrated Local Development Program (JILDP) assists the Government of the Republic of Moldova in the process of decentralization and strengthening of the local self-government. JILDP is implemented with the assistance of UNDP Moldova, UN Women and the financial support of the Swedish Government.}