Theme of the project: RURAL DEVELOPMENT and YOUTH ACTIVITIES!

This EVS work placement implies regional activities for the volunteers: in Romania and in Ukraine as it is a regional program.

Context:

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe. The conflict with the Transnistria added to the socio-economic downfall of the country. Rural poverty is increasing and at the same time, more and more people, loosing urban jobs, move away from large towns and cities. By 2003, about 60% of Moldovans lived in rural areas. In this context the situation of the rural youth deserve particular attention. While in Moldova, the youth comprise 1/3 of the population, one of every two unemployed person is under the age of 24.

The rural youth is left without entrepreneurial role model, low skills development opportunities, few job prospects. Many rural youth are not exposed to a variety of self-development possibilities, often lacking diversity and activities that could prepare them for careers or involvement they may not have considered.

To this situation, one must add the negative impact of the conflict between Moldova and Transnistria. A culture of conflict has developed along the years, with stereotypes and prejudices from each side of the river, little cooperation and communication. The youth grow up in and witness this culture of distrust, unlawfulness and corruption, which by far does not encourage civic engagement into building cohesion in the community. It is important to work with the youth of this area to show them alternatives and a wider socio-cultural horizon.

Objectives: 

Our objective is to develop strategies and projects to initiate and support rural youth development to try to remediate to poverty and conflict. This development of rural youth should be spurred in all domains: economic, social, cultural, civic… through innovative and participative activities that develop their economic opportunities, life skills, cultural horizons, willingness to act and to undertake responsibility, and their creativity.

We also see an opportunity, while developing local rural youth, to unite the young generation despite the conflict and overcome the stereotypes, communication problems and culture of conflict and injustice that exist in the whole area. 

The activities of the program include:

Action 1: researching rural youth challenges and development strategies of a pilot or innovative nature, in selected small-sized rural areas in Moldova

Action 2: networking with selected rural territories of Romania and Ukraine in the youth field, in order to compare and pool best practices in developing rural youth participation to the community and life skills of rural youngsters

Action 3: the implementation and replication/adaptation of the most successful ideas and projects on both banks of the Dniestr (youth exchange…)

Role and tasks of the volunteer:

• The volunteer will participate in the local/regional survey in Moldova and Transnistria to find out what is done for and by the rural youth to stimulate their own personal development (study tour in the regions,

interviews, visits of projects and NGOs, drafting a report…)

• The volunteer will help establish partnership in Romania and Ukraine to find out what are the best practices there in terms of rural youth development (pilot projects, innovative structures…)

• The volunteer will help organize and participate in all cross-border activities organize between the 3 regions: youth exchange, study tours, local survey…

• The volunteer will participate in the replication/adaptation of best practices found abroad to stimulate local youth: help create youth organization, organize trainings, meetings, consultations, leisure events, cultural events…

• The volunteer will be a promoter of the European values and help developing the rural youth with his/her own experience and ideas

On top of that, ICCD needs support from the EVS volunteer on other ongoing initiatives, like the set-up of the National European Volunteer Center of Moldova.

Expected results

• The volunteer will increase knowledge and experience of working with rural youth, will have a regional perspective on rural youth

• Will increase knowledge and understanding of the situation in rural Moldova and Transnistria

• Will stimulate the intercultural learning process between young people and volunteers

• Will gain self-confidence in interacting with people of different background

• Will develop work and life skills by organizing a variety of events to stimulate the youth

• Will develop research skills while helping with local and regional surveys

• Will develop drafting skills and communication skills

Location:

“Rural Youth Development Program” will be implemented in Moldova in the following sites: Balti, Soroca, Tiraspol, Kagul.

Practical arrangement:

Accommodation

During the first 2 weeks, all volunteers are to be accommodated in a recreation center in 2 rooms LaPopas (Dubossary region) with TV set and own bathroom.

After two weeks, all volunteers will be distributed in pairs to the 4 different communities. The volunteers will live either with host families or share a living location together. The living location will meet decent living standards (private room, free access to kitchen and bathroom, current cold water with the possibility of providing hot water at least one hour/day, functioning heating system, clean and secure location). ICCD in cooperation with each hosting community will make all efforts to find the best accommodation location for the volunteers. All accommodation and utility costs (water, gas, electricity) will be covered by ICCD. 

Food

Buying and preparing the food is to be the sole responsibility of the volunteers. For preparing the food the volunteers will have free access to an equipped kitchen.

In the case of volunteers staying in host families a solution will be to serve meals with the family. The hosting organization will provide each volunteer with a monthly food allowance from which they shall cover the alimentation costs.

The allowance is enough for insuring a very good living standard (being much higher than the amount and average citizen from the region spends for food). However the allowance will not be enough for ensuring every day eating in a restaurant or bistro or leading a luxurious life. 

Transport

The local transportation costs of the volunteers necessary for the activities implementation will be covered 100% by the association from the project budget.

The international transport of the volunteer from his/her home to the site of the project shall be covered 100% ‐ two ways (Economy flight tickets and/or 2nd class train tickets).

Other personal transport of the volunteers (local, national or international) will be not in the responsibility of the association. 

Language training

Due to the importance of communication with the people from the hosting communities (most of them cannot speak any foreign languages) will be of crucial importance for the volunteers to learn the Russian or Romanian language at a good speaking level. 

The volunteers will have the responsibility to attend all language courses according to the schedule as well as to make every effort in studying and learning the language.

The Russian/Romanian language lessons shall be provided by experienced language tutor. The content and structure of the language courses will be projected together with the volunteers, taking into consideration their learning abilities and needs. The language courses will be provided free of charge for the first two weeks on a daily basis and for 2 hours/week in their own community for the entire duration  of the EVS project; in the hosting communities private tuition language classes are delivered by a local school teacher to each team of volunteers. 

Pocket money:

Each volunteer is entitled to receive a 80 Euro monthly allowance – pocket money, which they can spent as they want. 

Recruitment

None but as the project focuses on rural youth development, we expect the volunteers to have some interests in working mostly in the countryside and that they are willing to contribute to the projects. Motivation and involvement are required!!!