Moldova
Projects in Moldova
Community Economic Development
Peace Corps volunteers in the Community and Organizational Development Program (COD) perform a wide variety of tasks to respond to community-identified interests and needs, serving many different types of organizations including: Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Mayor’s Offices, and libraries. COD volunteers are paired with a Moldovan counterpart in their community. Their primary job is assisting these organizations and administrations to strengthen their project research and writing skills, long term planning, leadership and networking skills as well as their organizational capacity, management, and financial sustainability. A typical day could be meeting with the village mayor regarding a waste management project, speaking with the school director on fundraising initiatives or facilitating a youth leadership club.
Education
Volunteers work to improve English language learning by students, improve English teaching in local schools, and enhance community and school development. A key part of pursuing these goals is Volunteers working with Moldovan partner teachers. They develop lesson plans together, and share teaching ideas. The Moldovan and American education systems are different in many ways, and the exchange of ideas and experiences enriches everyone.
Volunteers work at more than just teaching English. They design lesson plans to teach critical thinking and community developing skills. After-school clubs and activities help students, parents, teachers, and community members address educational, environmental, health, gender, and other social issues. Volunteers also work on development of sustainable programs that foster closer links between schools and communities.
Health
Health Volunteers in Moldova work in schools. Living in the community to learn its strengths and needs, they co-teach Health Education classes and coach youth clubs with their teacher partners. They also work as school health facilitators and design health promotion campaigns in collaboration with school staff.
Volunteers have successfully opened small health education resource centers in communities; translated reference materials and developed health education teaching guides; started peer education clubs, leadership camps, and summer schools for youth; co-directed seminars to combat domestic violence; and worked on campaigns to prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted illnesses.