Also in 2023 we achieved beautiful results thanks to the collaboration with civil society organizations from Moldova. Sweden provides support to programs implemented by CSOs that pursue four objectives: human rights, democracy, rule of law and gender equality; peaceful and inclusive societies; sustainable development and sustainable use of environment and climate resilient natural resources; inclusive economic development. Here's to more and greater results for 2024!
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Centre for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption (CAPC)
In 2023, the CAPC revised the Corruption Proofing Methodology and the electronic template thereof. This will determine the improvement of the legal framework by eliminating the corruption-generating legislative elements in the future. At the same time, it will allow the monitoring of the Parliament’s legislative activity, as well as the quality of the legislative acts.
The organization took steps to develop templates for the private sector on anti-bribery management systems according to the international standard ISO 37001. During 2023, together with U4 and Basel Institute experts, CAPC participated in the elaboration of the Study “Intensification of Anti-Corruption Efforts in the SME Sector in Moldova”.
Considering the continuous needs to ensure transparency in the public procurement process and understanding the potential of digital solutions, as a tool for preventing corruption and ensuring free access to information about the flow of public money expenditures, the CAPC set out to develop a new version of the digital public money monitoring platform OpenMoney, this being completed with a series of new functionalities, divided into modules.
In 2023, the CAPC instituted for the first time the Integrity Gala of Public Authorities, which has the purpose to encourage public entities to cultivate integrity in the public sector and to prevent the appearance of corruption; to increase society's trust that public entities and agents fulfil their mission in accordance with the public interest, including in the process of interaction with the private sector.
Legal Clinic Bălţi (BLC)
Balti Legal Clinic managed in 2023 the activity of 3 Mobile Teams, one of legal assistance, second for domestic violence victims support and third on climate changes and contraventions in the environmental field that visited 50 localities in the north of the country and provided legal assistance to 1023 rural residents (75% of whom are women and girls).
520 women and men from the municipality of Balti and other regions in the north of the country were consulted and solved their legal problems with the support of the Legal Clinic. Of these, 29 women received qualified legal support in domestic violence cases.
Due to the Community Empowerment Program of the Legal Clinic Balti, 498 women and girls were equipped with legal knowledge in the field of protection measures against family violence, and 1000 women and men from 30 villages in the North have basic legal information regarding access at the courts and at state-guaranteed legal assistance services.
The first and unique anti-corruption tool in the North region was created by BLC with Balti Mayoralty partnership support - Local Transparency Council, as part of Balti Anti Corruption Action Plan/Strategy for 2022-2026. Balti Local Transparency Council is now a functional, official and active structure of Balti Public Authority. There are only 3 such Councils in Moldova (in Cahul, Staseni and Balti), but only Balti Council is an official Public Authority structure.
Center for Policies and Reforms (CPR)
Organization managed to strengthen its strategic programs on different areas of intervention: policy analysis and advocacy, capacity building of public institutions and empowering citizens to engage in civic activism. CPR has facilitated civil society input to the new law on access to information and other policies in the area of social accountability, developed process auditing methodology, support kits and training programs for public institutions in the areas of public participation and access to information.
Expanding the size and capacities of the team – both core staff that would help to develop the organization and also its experts pool. CPR also started providing in-house training and mentorship for new employees as part of its normal operations.
CPR has incorporated the newly adopted policies into its everyday operations and has worked on fine-tuning and improving procedures and practices, including from the environmental, gender and inclusivity perspectives.
East European Foundation (EEF)
The 10 youth banks supported 198 youth local initiatives, mobilizing 2058 girls and 1160 boys in the implementation of various local development initiatives. In addition, with funds leveraged from the European Union, 10 youth entrepreneurship funds supported the creation of 73 new businesses led by vulnerable youth, including 15 economic entities led by youth with disabilities, along with 78 new jobs for youth, including eight jobs for young people with disabilities.
Four CSO networks that represent vulnerable groups influenced nine targeted public policies that affect the livelihoods of Roma, older people, persons with disabilities, women and youth.
The Civic coalition for free and fair elections, bringing together 39 domestic CSOs, actively monitored the fairness and inclusiveness of local general elections conducted in November 2023. In addition, eight CSOs designed and implemented local campaigns that empowered women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other under-represented groups to stand as election candidates.
Over 100 local CSOs in six districts increasingly participated in local decision-making and exercised democratic policy influence. Three additional district participation Council were set up Floresti, Cimislia and Stefan-Voda districts. These new civic participation mechanisms are inspired by successful policy influencing practices achieved earlier by the District Participation Councils in Soroca, Causeni and Cahul. In 2023 the CSO members of six District Participation Councils influenced 36% of 63 targeted local decisions.
With additional funding leveraged from EU, in 2023 EEF supported the establishment of 30 work integration social enterprises including seven in the Transnistrian region. Most of the supported social enterprises are led by women. To date, these new entities employed 75 women and men belonging to vulnerable groups.
CONTACT Center
In 2023, the third edition of the reSTART organisational development programme took place. This edition was focused on developing the capacities of 20 managers or representatives of start-up or developing NGOs in the Republic of Moldova in project writing. As a result of the programme, 82% of the organisations have seen an increase or maintenance of their budget and 52% of the beneficiaries confirmed diversification of income sources for their organisation.
From June to December 2023, the CONTACT Centre, has launched a one-to-one consultancy programme for NGOs. Consultations were offered in the field of organisational development, financial management, drafting of annual narrative reports etc. As a result, almost 120 organisations and 4 initiative groups from 16 cities/52 villages/ 31 districts and municipalities benefited from individual consultations.
CONTACT Centre continued to provide the secretariat for the Platform for the Promotion and Development of Philanthropy and promoted the importance of collaboration between the non-profit and private sectors for social causes. As a result of the work done and third edition of the "National Goodness Week Campaign" campaign, 60 economic agents were informed and involved in the campaign activities, 5 local philanthropic initiatives were launched as part of the national campaign, over 30 media appearances about the campaign were recorded and over 100,000 people were informed and made aware of philanthropy.
Women`s Initiatives
The organization has provided legal, psychological, material support and assisted to socialize more than 1690 beneficiaries. The services provided contributed to the reduction of domestic violence.
Comprehensive direct assistance was provided to 1,696 beneficiaries (565% more than planned considering the support provided to refugees too): women - 1,152, men - 133, girls - 197, boys - 214.
In partnership with the Transnistrian Platform for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Promotion of Women's Rights participants, a training on the topic: "Supporting women who use drugs and women living with HIV in situations of violence" was conducted and joint activities within the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against violence were organized.
Artemida
Through "Ariadna" center it were offered specialized psychological, legal counseling and support services that help rights holders break the vicious circle of violence and create a future free of violence. During this period (2023) it were assisted in accordance with the case managment procedure: in temporary foster care: 15 women and 26 children (12 girls and 14 boys); in the day services 324 women/girls, survivors of violence were assisted.
During the year, 96 family aggressors were admitted to the program (95 cases being referred by the courts and probation offices and one aggressor applied individually to benefit from counseling services). 64 domestic abusers completed the program this year and not a single case of recidivism was recorded.
The Training Center continued to promote and maintain capacity-building programs in the community, intervention efforts and prevention of gender-based violence and family violence at the individual, community and social level.
NGO "Artemida" managed in 2023 the activity of 3 mobile teams consisting of a psychologist, a lawyer and a social worker (2 mobile teams for the northern area and one mobile team for the southern area). During this period, specialists from the mobile teams organized and conducted 742 information sessions where 20,656 people (women, girls, men and boys) were informed about the impact and consequences of gender-based violence and violence in the family and services available for survivors of violence.
Association of Environmental Journalists and Environmental Tourism (AJMTEM)
The first optional course in environmental journalism was held at the State University of Moldova. The trainings took place weekly for five months. The partnership between the university and journalists is very important, as it helps media representatives to tackle environmental issues right from university. In October 2023, a new class of students started the course and will complete it in April 2024.
The passion for tourism and nature activities has led the Association of Environmental and Ecotourism Journalists to think up and launch a new project - "EcoTabăra" - in 2023. It involves a 3–5-day escape from the routine of the city into the heart of nature, in which adults and families with children (of any age) can participate. During the activity, participants interact with various specialists in nature-related fields (nature survival, sanitation, sorting, training on local flora and fauna). Games, hikes, and rest are part of the activities.
In response to the energy crisis, the Association of Environmental Journalists and Ecotourism has created an information campaign together with experts in the field - the "ECOlogic, ECOnomic" campaign. The campaign features two heroes - Dominte and Profir, who, in an accessible way, explain about energy efficiency, saving energy, using renewable sources, keeping heat in the home and trees in the forest. The videos, posters, brochures, and infographics have reached hundreds of thousands of people both online and offline.
PA Ecological Society “BIOTICA”
PA Ecological Society “BIOTICA” in 2023 was actively involved in conservational activities in the protected areas of the Republic of Moldova and other valuable areas. During the year the organization succeeded to plant about 7 ha of forest in Cirnateni village from the Lower Dniester National Park and 6 ha in Baltata village (Criuleni rayon) as field protective forest belts.
Additionally, some small plantings were done in Iagorlic nature reserve from the left bank of Dniester, and along the Baltata small river on a length of a 1 km to contribute to the rehabilitation of the small river.
Together with specialists in biology, 8 artificial nests for Ciconia Ciconia, 5 for Cygnus olor and 10 for Falco Vespertinus were made and installed close to their habitats in the Lower Dniester National Park.
To contribute to the development of responsible tourism, a nature visitor point in Copanca was built that will be included in the tourist routes along Lower Dniester National Park.
AO National Environmental Center
Organization contributed to the implementation of the National Program for the Extension and Rehabilitation of Forests, with the annual planting campaign being organized, 78 ha of land being planted in the town of Geamăna, Anenii Noi, as well as the planting of river protection strips - this year on the banks of the Dniester , Molovata village, Dubăsari district, which was attended by over 50 people - village residents, students, APL representatives, so that about 2 km of the shore were planted.
The Small Grants Program "Environment, adaptation to climate change and ecosystems" was continued, in the 2nd edition, 5 beneficiary NGOs from the whole country were selected, which implemented projects that solved the problem of waste in localities, rehabilitated the protection of the rivers, informed, and trained the inhabitants of the village they belong to.
Community dvelopment initiatives were promoted, such as: mentorship for 12 schools to carry out environmental projects; 6 springs that directly feed surface water sources (rivers and streams) were rehabilitated (Nistru – in the localities of Cremenciug, Răut – in Furceni and Jevreni, Tigheci – in Pleșeni, Racovaț – in Tîrnova, Larga – in Larga noua); national campaign on World Cleanup Day with 6000 participating volunteers from at least 120 localities and more than 500 cubic meters of waste collected from green areas.
The EcoAlert tool was promoted (348 notifications are registered (253 at the end of 2022 and 188 notifications in 2021), of which 321 are resolved (158 in 2021), and only 14 are rejected).
The School Gardens were supported, so at the end of 2022 another 4 new schools joined the network, which in 2023 implemented the School Garden project in and participated in local and national fairs and fairs with the products grown in the gardens, 4 among the educational institutions that develop a School Kindergarten are advanced enough to offer support to other schools, teachers and students through consultation and the organization of studio tours and training.
