East Europe Foundation: EEF Helps Youth Banks to Support 53 Community Projects

East Europe Foundation: EEF Helps Youth Banks to Support 53 Community Projects

• 28.11.2011

For several years now youth banks have become very popular throughout the world as a unique way of involving young people in community activities and solving important community issues. EEF decided to pilot this mechanism in Moldova to boost the self-confidence of young Moldovans, empower them to engage in meaningful activities and make them recognized agents of change in their own communities. To do this EEF-Moldova intends to quell the dangerous view that “leaving the country is the only solution” – a view widely shared by local teenagers.

The Youth Bank project is based on existing methodology, including an innovative grant-making initiative run by young people for young people. EEF-Moldova partnered with experienced peer organizations the Community Foundation of Cluj and YouthBank Romania to replicate the successful model in Moldova. The project increases youth participation in community social development by building the capacities and expertise of local youth and of the community organizations while targeting youth in regions where opportunities for employment and engagement in public policymaking are low. The initiative, which is being implemented in Cahul, Ialoveni, Ungheni and Edinet districts, is funded by the Swedish Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark/DANIDA through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through Eurasia Foundation..

The Youth Bank project is being implemented by EEF in partnership with local organizations which were selected to support the creation and consolidation of four local “Youth Banks” and contribute to the implementation of further Youth Bank activities. Before sending young people to their communities to solve a variety of urgent issues, EEF conducted an intensive training course on volunteering, project management, communication, fundraising and grant-making. Each of approximately 50 young people who then started working together in four youth banks have learnt how to assess the most pressing issues for youth in their communities, plan and implement resources and activities to solve these issues, fundraise for such projects, communicate, negotiate and build the capacity of youth banks to make them sustainable in future. Before the Youth Banks started raising funds, local surveys were conducted to identify the needs of the youth in each community involved.

Among the most pressing needs listed were the following: lack of adequate facilities for local youth to spend their free time; limited access for children with disabilities to study; lack of extracurricular activities and library resources; and environmental problems. Youth Banks have developed their priorities for fundraising activities and grant programs accordingly to meet the challenges identified in local youth needs assessments. To satisfy the identified needs, each group started various fundraising campaigns, including door-to-door activities, written enquiries to local businesses and other economic entities, plus hosting parties, dance festivals, theatre performances and more.

The majority of the money collected was channeled toward the recently launched Small Grants Programs run by each Youth Bank. These programs aim to improve the quality of life of youth in each community. More than 220 young people from 20 communities in 3 districts in Moldova have implemented approximately 100 Youth Bank-supported projects. The activities varied from obtaining necessary technical documentation and receiving financial support from the local municipality to building a bus stop near a local university and the revival of a local park in Ialoveni. Local youth did not have a place to spend time and so the local youth bank mobilized community resources and volunteers to completely renovate a park, plant more than 200 trees and a rose garden, plus install new benches and lights. In turn, the youth bank in Ungheni established a sports playground that now is a favorite place for local youngsters.

Already this pilot initiative has demonstrated tremendous results and great potential. The project proves that such small initiatives can educate and build the capacity of youth NGOs and young people, plus highlight how such a unique approach helps to mobilize all local resources to meet community needs. And most importantly, youngsters become the drivers of positive changes throughout the country.