moldova.usaid.gov
Country Program Officer: Gary Linden
American Embassy/Moldova
Department of State
Washington, DC 20521-7080
Tel: 373-22-20-1800
Fax: 373-2-237277 |
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Overview
When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Moldova began its historic transition from the poorest and least developed Soviet republic to an independent, market-oriented democracy. In 1992, USAID began assistance programs to support Moldova’s transition by establishing critical health and social safety net programs for its citizens, building democratic practices within the government, and restructuring and privatizing key industries to boost economic growth.
Today, Moldova has benefited from the many democratic, economic and social reforms made since independence, however, many challenges remain.
Moldova is the poorest country in Europe with a vulnerable economy that relies heavily on remittances from citizens working abroad. Its agricultural-based economy is subject to external and market pressures on its primary products. As the 2007 record drought demonstrated, the country lacks a modern agricultural system that can miti-gate the impact of natural disasters. Although foreign investment has increased, the business climate remains weak and is characterized by corruption and overregulation. In the area of good governance, a current uneven concentration of power and lack of transparency in governing bodies threatens to undermine democratic progress and reforms. Trafficking in persons, weak healthcare systems, and the rise of infections diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C, are further barriers to the economic and political advancement of the country. Maria Leahu is one of 500 villagers who joined a dairy cooperative developed by USAID to build the capacity of local farmers and increase rural incomes in Moldova.
To address these and other important development issues, USAID works in three areas under the U.S. Government’s Foreign Assistance Framework: (1) Economic Growth; (2) Governing Justly and Democratically; and (3) Investing In People. Collectively, these programs seek to help Moldova achieve economic and political stability and, in turn, be able to sustain further advances on its own. To carry out these goals, 21 projects are imple-mented with USAID funding and technical assistance. Implementing partners include international and local NGOs, U.S. businesses and U.N. agencies.
Moldova in Action
New Hepatitis B and C Campaign Targets Moldovans
Viral hepatitis is the fifth leading cause of death in Moldova and mortality rates are seven times higher than those in the EU. Yet, only 12 percent of Moldovans understand the modes of transmission for hepatitis B and C... Read More ...
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Moldovan Government Takes Stand Against Domestic Violence
On March 11, 2008, just three days after Moldova celebrated the International Women’s Day holiday with flowers, parties, and festivals, the President signed historic legislation to protect women in Moldova from domestic violence... Read More ...
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Journalist Wins National Human Rights Award for Moldova Project
For the second year in a row, a journalist with the USAID Anti-Trafficking Project in Moldova received national recognition for her pioneering reporting. Leontina Vatamanu-Margineanu, who directs, writes and produces... Read More ...
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Stefan Voda Opens Pilot Voluntary HIV, Hepatitis Center
In December 2007, U.S. Ambassador Michael D. Kirby and Minister of Health Ion Ababii jointly inaugurated a new voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C in Stefan Voda, Moldova... Read More ...
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Lithuania Hosts Moldovan Health Ministry Delegates
Under the Moldova Governance Threshold Program, a delegation from the Moldovan Ministry of Health visited Lithuania for a study tour on health care reform in November 2007... Read More ...
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USAID Holds Moldova’s First Conference for Faith-Based Organizations
In December 2007, USAID and U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Michael D. Kirby hosted the first International Faith and Community Based Initiatives Conference in Moldova to assist local faith-based and community organizations... Read More ...
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Campaign to Eliminate Violence Against Women Launches in Moldova
Over 40 percent of women in Moldova have been victims of a violent act at least once in their lives. To raise awareness of this widespread problem, USAID’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative held a series of activities throughout Moldova... Read More ...
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Moldova’s Threshold Country Program Announces Implementation Phase
On October 9, 2007, the Threshold Country Program (TCP) held an official ceremony to launch its implementation phase in Moldova. The TCP is a $24.7 million dollar program, funded by the U.S. Government... Read More ...
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Egyptian Reformers Learn from Moldova's Success
Fifteen Egyptian government officials, representing eight different ministries, visited Moldova on a study tour to learn about the success of its “guillotine approach” to reform that was led by the USAID BIZPRO Project... Read More ...
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Moldovan Wines Make a Splash on the International Scene
Moldova, a country blessed with rich soil, good climate and located at the same latitude as the most famous wine regions in France, remains virtually unknown internationally for its wines... Read More ...
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Summer Leadership Camp Helps At-Risk Women Gain Independence
Sixty young women from across Moldova had the unique opportunity this year to take part in a Summer School for Leadership. Designed to prepare recent graduates for independent living... Read More ...
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USAID Provides Drought Relief for Moldova’s Farmers
Drought-stricken farmers across Moldova received critically needed seeds for fall planting as part of immediate USAID assistance valued at $350,000 to help alleviate the consequences of this summer’s drought on small-scale growers... Read More ...
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Moldovan Fashion Maven Takes On Milan
Georgeta Ieahia grew up wanting to be a clothing designer. At age 17, she had her first client. Encouraged by her early success, Georgeta left her native Moldova to attend the London College of Fashion... Read More ...
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Economic Growth Key Theme of Menarchik's Moldova Visit
In May 2007, USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Dr. Douglas Menarchik traveled to Moldova as part of his visit to the region. While in Chisinau, Menarchik met with high-ranking Moldovan officials... Read More ...
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Transparency in Moldovan Governance Builds from Local Level Up
When the 120 mayors participating in USAID’s Local Government Reform Project (LGRP) assembled for a quarterly meeting, it was always a spirited occasion peppered with numerous simultaneous debates and discussions... Read More ...
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Ambassador Rolls Up His Sleeve to Boost Moldova’s Blood Donations
In celebration of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, US Ambassador Michael D. Kirby, with Moldova’s Minister of Health, Ion Ababii, donated blood to raise awareness of the critical need for unpaid blood donations in Moldova... Read More ...
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Moldova, US Sign $24.7M Millennium Challenge Agreement
On December 15, Moldova and the US signed a $24.7 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program agreement aimed at reducing government corruption... Read More ...
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Moldovan Youth Find Hope in USAID Social Reintegration Center
In Moldova, young women from disadvantaged backgrounds often fall prey to human traffickers. They are often most susceptible following their graduation from state-sponsored boarding school... Read More ...
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USAID Initiative Offers Hope for Victim of Trafficking
Irina, a young woman from a small village in northern Moldova, recently returned home after four years abroad as a victim of human trafficking... Read More ...
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Farmer-to-Farmer Program Yields Cross-Cultural Collaboration
USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer (FtF) Program operates in 40+ countries. It provides volunteers to help not just farmers, but agribusinesses and their supporting organizations to promote sustainable improvements in food processing, production, and marketing... Read More ...
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Young Leaders Issue Declaration, Launch Web Community
In late September, more than 60 representatives, averaging 24 years of age, traveled from 17 southeastern European and Eurasian countries and provinces to Chisinau, Moldova for the 2006 Young Political Leaders Seminar... Read More ...
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A Warm Classroom for Winter
The local public school of Zorile, Moldova is home to 160 children between September and June every year. While the students of Zorile value their school and education... Read More ...
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Vote Supports Moldova’s Private Enterprise
On July 22, 2006, the Moldovan Parliament unanimously passed new business legislation heralding a new era of open public-private relations in Moldova... Read More ...
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Moldovan Mayors Urged to Press for Continued Reforms
Moldovan mayors participating in the USAID Local Government Reform Project (LGRP) were recently commended by Brock D. Bierman, Chief of Staff... Read More ...
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USAID Official Receives Moldovan Medal of Civic Merit
On June 28, President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin presented Brock D. Bierman, Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, with the Medal of Civic Merit... Read More ...
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Moldovan Hospital Maternity Ward Gives Birth to Citizen Participation
For years the maternity ward in Telenesti has had no functioning patient bathing facilities, few working in-room sinks, and fluorescent lighting fixtures that hung from the ceiling like carrion birds... Read More ...
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Moldova’s One-Stop-Shops Curb Corruption and Save Time, Money for
Businesses
Valentina Capraru, a bookkeeper for a small company, came to the One-Stop-Shop for permit authorizations in the town of Cahul to apply for a trade authorization... Read More ...
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Leading Moldovan Woman Leaders Visit the United States
Ten women parliamentarians and one political leader from the Republic of Moldova, representing each of that nation’s major political parties, visited the United States in January for high-level U.S. government meetings and discussions... Read More ...
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Smoothing the Path for Business in Moldova
In Moldova, regulatory reform has become an increasingly popular tool to effectively fight corruption and bribery. When combined with political will and popular support, regulatory reform is virtually unbeatable... Read More ...
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Strong Messages Urge Moldovan Entrepreneurs to Support Regulatory Reform
“Tired of writing too many reports?” “Tired of staying in too many lines?” “Tired of too many inspections? These are just a few messages one can frequently see while strolling or driving in Moldova... Read More ...
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US Medical Donation Restores Hearing for Hundreds of Balti Veterans
Dr. Gregory James Spirakis, an audiologist from Lakeland, Florida, arrived in Chisinau on October 8, 2005 bearing 215 new hearing aids and supplies valued at $250,000 for Moldova’s World War II veterans... Read More ...
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Moldovan Law Clinics Unite to Foster Clinical Legal Education and
Help the Disadvantaged
On May 12, 2005, four Moldovan legal clinics gathered in the southern Moldovan city of Comrat, where they adopted the Declaration on Creation of the Federation of Moldovan Legal Clinics... Read More ...
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Moldovan Dairy Farmers Hit Two Million Lei in Sales
When Liudmila Serepitco, a retired teacher in Cainarii Vechi, started a modest milk collection point 8 years ago, she had no idea that her attempt at entrepreneurship would touch the lives... Read More ...
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E&E Hosts Historic Roundtable with Moldova’s Political Leaders
Six members of the Moldovan Parliament representing the leadership of each of that nation’s major political parties, were the featured guests for a roundtable luncheon... Read More ...
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Citizen Action Brings Pure Water to 467 Households in Zberoaia
Irina Cojocaru carefully fills a glass with crystal clear water from the tap and drinks it with pleasure and pride. Her dream has finally come true. Now she doesn’t have to walk several kilometers uphill to fill buckets from small springs... Read More ...
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USAID Local Government Reform Project Warms Moldovan Neighborhood
Lidia Lazareva, a married mother of two children, is as grateful as anybody in the Sheftelik neighborhood of the Moldovan town of Ceadir Lunga – and perhaps more so than most -- that she finally has a natural gas hook-up... Read More ...
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Metro Cash & Carry Partnering with Moldovan Bank
Moldova’s economic growth over the past five years has improved quality of life for its citizens. Nonetheless, many have been unable to benefit fully from the exciting opportunities created by the new market-driven economy... Read More ...
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New USAID-Supported Legislation in Moldova Cuts Business Regulations
Business in Moldova may have reached a breakthrough moment when a new law on reviewing and streamlining business regulations, developed with substantial input from USAID and Bizpro/Moldova... Read More ...
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Radio Singera Keeps a Beat on the Community Pulse
Although only eight months old, Radio Singera can already claim credit for a major scoop: it was the first media outlet to broadcast a demonstration in Chisinau, Moldova... Read More ...
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Moldova’s Elections Observed By Washington Delegates
Representatives from USAID/Washington, accompanied by White House Associate Political Director Paul Dyck, participated in the OSCE election observation mission to Moldova earlier this month... Read More ...
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USAID Recognizes Lakeland, Florida Doctor for
International Volunteer Efforts
Dr. Gregory J. Spirakis received the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) Outstanding Citizenship Achievement Award in a ceremony
this evening in Lakeland, Florida. The award was presented
to Dr. Spirakis by Dr. Kent R. Hill, USAID Assistant Administrator
for Europe
and Eurasia. Read
More ...
Lakeland to Celebrate Shipment of Humanitarian Assistance to Moldova
As the holiday season draws to a close, Lakeland residents prepare to celebrate the culmination of a charity project that has been underway for the past year. On Saturday, Counterpart International will assist city organizers in loading a shipping container of humanitarian assistance bound for Belts, Moldova, one of Lakeland's Sister Cities. The container of medical equipment, office supplies, and furniture, valued at over $43,000, will be shipped and distributed by Counterpart International to Moldova through funding provided by the United States Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Read More ...
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