Location
Cotiujenii Mari, Şoldăneşti district, Republic of Moldova
Community Description
Cotiujenii Mari is a large, beautiful village located in the Şoldăneşti district, in the northern part of Moldova. It has a population of 3,650 people and it is known for its hospitality and the huge forest surrounding the village.
The community has completed more than 20 projects in the last 10 years. Major projects included bringing gas into the village, implementing a center for children with disabilities, building a house of culture and replacing windows at the local high school.
Recently, the community has taken on the task of improving the interior and exterior of the local kindergarten. The Creşa kindergarten was built in 1918 and 60 members of this community have at least a child or more attending.
Creşa provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to vulnerable children and their families. It serves 30 children from a year and a half to three years of age.
Four well-trained educators and their assistants teach these children through play, while nine technical employees help with the maintenance of Creşa.
Access to water is a basic necessity, but the availability of water in the village is currently limited.
Project Description
The purpose of this project is to provide the kindergarten Creşa with access to running water.
The kindergarteners spend a vast majority of their time at Creşa. They arrive from 8:00 a.m. and leave at 6:00 p.m. During these 10 hours, the children eat three nutritious meals a day. The cook makes a minimum of 12 trips to the well every day, carrying two buckets, in order to cook the meals and wash the dishes.
Providing a safe and clean environment is a top priority for the community. Therefore, washing is a daily routine at the kindergarten. Bibs, towels and clothes that get dirty by the occasional toddler “accident” are hand-washed on a daily basis along with washing 30 bedsheets and pillowcases every 10 days.
In 2006, the kindergarten director approached the New Apostolic Church to assist with installing a gas system, but unfortunately, they did not have funds for this request and instead donated an automatic washing machine in 2008. The washing machine is still boxed and has never been used. Without access to running water, it would take a minimum of 20 trips to the well in order to do laundry.
Purchasing a new water pump to connect to the local well will improve the health status of the children and the work performance of the kindergarten staff. Staff will not have to travel as far in order to get water and will complete their work tasks efficiently.
Project funds will assist the Creşa kindergarten in purchasing a motor pump, sink, faucet, electric wire, water reserve, water pipes and labor work.
Project Impact
Direct beneficiaries of the water access project are the 30 kindergarteners and 18 staff members. Indirect beneficiaries include 60 parents and the community at large.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Veronica Michel
Comments
The kindergarten Creşa will be providing a safe and healthy environment for years to come as a result of this project.
The community has shown its commitment in finishing and maintaining projects. This project complements the community task of improving the interior and exterior of the school.
Dollar Amount of Project
$500.00
Donations Collected to Date
$500.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has now been fully funded, through the generosity of The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Veronica Michel of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Veronica and/or those of her counterpart PCVs in Moldova.
This project has been finished. To read about the conclusion of the project, CLICK HERE.