On Thursday, 24 September 2020, at 10:00, it was organized the festive launching event of „Citizens’ empowerment in the Republic of Moldova” project in the Development Region North, accompanied by the grants’ awarding ceremony to local civil society organizations (CSOs), beneficiaries of Local Grants Programme.

The Local Grants Programme was launched under the Single Support Framework for EU support to Moldova (2017-2020) within the European Neighborhood Instrument through EU funded project „Citizens’ Empowerment in the Republic of Moldova” (2019 -2021), implemented by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ. In the Northern region, the project partners are NGO “Pro Cooperare Regională” and NGO “CASMED”.

The EU funded project “Citizens’ Empowerment in the Republic of Moldova” aims to carry out activities in order to develop and strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations, as well as increase the involvement of citizens in the participatory planning process, monitoring procurements and ensuring the sustainability of local infrastructure investments in 4 priority areas: water supply and sanitation, waste management, energy efficiency, environment and climate change.

Thus, 24 civil society organizations from the Development Region North were designated as beneficiaries of the first grant call, obtaining non-reimbursable funding, the total amount being approximately EUR 670 000, to support in empowering citizens to actively and constructively participate in the decision-making process, sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) and public service infrastructure in their communities.

At the opening of the event, Ms. Magdalena MUELLER-URI, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, congratulated the 24 CSOs receiving grants, thanked the GIZ, NGO „Pro Cooperare Regionala” and NGO “CASMED” for implementing the project and mentioned that “This project is particularly important to me, because it is the type of project that is close to the citizens and is directly improving their quality of life. It is essential to be implemented because empowering the citizens and making them responsible for certain processes is also a watch dog function, which means that it can avoid and prevent corruption.”

The local initiatives that will be implemented by the 24 CSOs cover a wide range of topics, e.g.: one of the projects that will considerably increase the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process is implemented by the NGO “Cutezătorul”. The project aims to promote inter-community cooperation, monitor investments in Falesti and 8 localities adjacent to the Prut-Falesti aqueduct. More than 25 600 people will be involved in project activities: 600 citizens will be trained in water supply field and will be encouraged to participate in the policies elaboration, monitoring and evaluation processes; around 25 000 inhabitants of Falesti rayon will be informed about the EU role in WSS infrastructure development, the involvement of water consumers in the decision-making processes and European investment projects monitoring. According to the project manager, Victor Cimpoieș, the focus will also be on young people “The project also aims to involve young people, as they are an untapped resource at fair value, with the organization of various activities, including a summer school for capacity building in the fields: environmental protection, participation in local decision-making“.

Equally interesting is the project “Enabling Participation and Transparency” from the city of Drochia, which supports the project “Improving the water supply services of the town Drochia” by completing the information and empowerment component of the citizens. “By implementing the objectives of the project, we propose to motivate and involve the active and responsible citizens, for a duration of 12 months, in the processes of monitoring procurement procedures, participation in the decision-making at the local level,” said Ms. Botnari Silvia, project manager AO “Universe Resource Center”.

More details about the project can be accessed on the pages: www.eu4civilsociety.md; www.procore.md; www.casmed.md.

The event took place outdoors, in the courtyard of the IMPERIAL restaurant (3 Strii Street, Bălți municipality).

To limit and prevent possible COVID-19 diseases, participants wore masks and their number did not exceed 50 people.

The project “Citizens’ empowerment in the Republic of Moldova” is funded by the European Union and is implemented by the German Development Cooperation through GIZ. In the Northern region, the project partners are NGO “Pro Cooperare Regionala” and NGO “CASMED”.

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Contacts: Natalia Postolachi, local project coordinator,

                  NGO “CASMED”

                  Tel: +373 695 60 259

                  E-mail: casmed.eusuport@gmail.com