EcoVillage is starting a new rural development initiative in our area of Moldova. And you are invited to become a partner.
What are we doing? Over the course of the next half-year, we will be creating and offering a series of professional and personal development trainings to 8th and 9th graders, to prepare them for confident futures.
Why? Youth in the rural villages around EcoVillage must leave home after 9th grade to continue education or seek work. In the cities, they face challenges of career decisions, independent life, and competition with urban peers with more access to opportunities.
Why this project? Sustainable development cannot work without active, connected citizens. By building youth skills and connections across villages, the Avânt Association for Rural Development (one of the NGOs behind EcoVillage) aims to contribute to the development of a resilient region.
How can you contribute? We are raising money to fund at least 57 hours of training sessions. The budget will cover the development of training modules and food/accommodation for 100+ youth. Avânt has already committed to contributing 30% of the project budget pro bono, and the US Peace Corps is partnering to offer a matching grant of up to $1800 USD. That means that any donation you offer up to that amount will be doubled.
$55 covers participation of 1 youth in a full day of training sessions
$45 covers a snack for 15 youth during an after-school training in their village
$35 covers accommodation for 1 youth during a 2-day training
$20 covers facilitation of an after-school training session
$10 covers transport for 2 youth to come for a training at EcoVillage Moldova
Project details
This project will create a curriculum of nonformal education modules and offer them in a mix of locations (at EcoVillage and in the home villages) and formats (two-day, one-day, and serialized). Participants will apply to attend the topics and formats that align with their needs.
During school visits to 144 students, we identified the following five topics as most requested:
- money management
- emotional intelligence
- career exploration
- communication
- information technology in professional settings
We will be working with mostly 8th and 9th grade students from seven villages: Miclești, Stețcani, Ișnovăț, Rîșcova, Hîrtopul Mic, Hîrtopul Mare and Izbiște.
Our detailed objectives are the following:
- Develop the organizational capacity of A.O. Avânt by designing 5 training modules for youth professional and personal development.
- Develop the individual capacity of rural youth in skills related to professional and personal development topics.
- Provide opportunities for youth to develop meaningful relationships with peers from neighboring villages, enriching the grassroots networks of the region.
- Strengthen collaboration between key actors working with rural youth in the target region, including civil society organizations, schools, and libraries.
