A student from Tudora village of Stefan Voda distcrit started a business in agriculture with European funds. The young man bought a modern tractor by which he cultivates tens of hectares of farmland each spring and autumn. Villagers ask for his services whenever they need mechanized works in the field or in the orchard, IPN reports.
The young man, being still a high school student, won a grant within the Support to Confidence Building Measures Program that is financed by the EU and implemented by UNDP. To get the money, he took part in a contest where he had to expound his business idea and to prove he will be able to maintain and develop the business he intended to start.
With the money obtained from the EU, he bought a tractor and founded a firm with three employees. The man’s father returned home from abroad where he had worked for several years and is now one of the firm’s employees. The young man manages the firm and is responsible for communication with potential clients, while his father works on the tractor together with another employee, who is an experienced mechanic.
Launched two years ago, the business became profitable. The young man thinks of extending it and of buying new equipment and vehicles so as to provide a wide range of services not only for people from his village, but also for inhabitants of neighboring villages. He is also considering the possibility of building a large cold storage facility to keep fruit for sale together with his family.
Dorin Tapu is one of the over 70 young people from both sides of the Nistru River who received European grants of up to €13,500 for starting or developing a business.
The Support to Confidence Building Measures Program contributes to building confidence between the inhabitants from both sides of the Nistru by engaging representatives of the business community, civil society and the local authorities in common business development and social infrastructure projects.