Oportunități de Proiect
Viability is rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most viable.
This is an ongoing work in progress, and this page will be updated often.
Micro Manufacturing
Fac șosete și șervețel de dantelă Legions of women here are knitting and crocheting items for mere bani per hour. They knit heavy socks, which could be popular in the U.S. if made of colors belonging to college or professional sports teams. They also crochet doilies and other items, and try to sell one doily or one pair of socks for less than $2 U.S. We could find stores in the U.S. to sell them, and set up a manufacturing and distribution operation, paying the women more than they currently get, without the trouble of having to sell their wares. I have talked with the president of the Phoenix Centre ONG here in Riscani, and she is interested in this project. |
DETAILS
Viability: 8 Partner Victoria Dunford, Phoenix Centre ONG Sustainability Very Good Click HERE for this project's Summary Page. |
North-to-South Moldova Tourism Trail
Nord-a-Sud Moldova Trail Turism A federal effort is afoot to establish a tourist trail along the Prut River watershed from the north of Moldova to the South. This trail will pass through Rișcani, presenting us with many opportunities. |
DETAILS
Viability: 9 Partner Alexandru Crigan Sustainability Very Good Click HERE for this project's Summary Page. |
Library Lending Program
Program de creditare bibliotecă Inspired by a new program in California, we hope to outfit the Riscani library with a variety of tools and other items to lend. Our first step is to conduct a survey, asking residents what items they would like to borrow. |
DETAILS
Viability: 8 Partner Three librarians from Biblioteca Rișcani Novateca Regional Coordinator Peace Corps/Novateca Liaison Sustainability Good |
Business Advisory Panel
Panel de consultanță în afaceri On the first floor of our building is a small room where, one day a week, residents come with questions to solve problems with their daily lives. It is funded by BCIS, a Swedish group, I believe. If they don't already advise people on business matters specifically, maybe we can open the room another day of the week to focus on that? |
DETAILS
Viability: 6 Partner Alexandru Crigan Sustainability Fair . |
Swimming pool
Piscina A construction specialist at my raion council would like to build an indoor swimming pool complex here. Our first step is to conduct a survey, asking residents about their swimming abilities and desires. |
DETAILS
Viability: 3 Partner Raion Council Vasil Burduja Sustainability Good . |
U.S.A. Dance Tour
Tur de dans în SUA Children here are taught how to dance at an early age, and many can perform the Hora and other traditional Moldovan dances as well as can many professionals. We could organize a beautiful program that would be very entertaining, educational and effective at sharing cultures, if we can just find a way to send a few dozen students to the U.S. |
United Way Moldova
United Way Moldova I spoke with former PC volunteer David Smith (M27?), who tried to bring the United Way to Moldova a few years ago. He made progress, and it might be possible to continue his work. The United Way works with area ONGs to coordinate fundraising and support. It would be of tremendous benefit to Moldovans, helping them to help themselves. |
DETAILS
Viability: 4-8 Partner United Way International Sustainability Very Good |
Classroom Educational Posters
Afișe sală de clasă de învățământ The North Carolina Secretary of State's office has worked to print and ship educational posters (in English) here, and has even obtained copyright clearance on several posters that could be printed here. We could find a printer in Moldova, raise funds and have thousands of posters printed for schools around the country. |
DETAILS
Viability: 8 Partner N.C. Sec. of State Sustainability Single Event |
Tool Rental Company
Instrument, compania de închiriere Many, many contractors and workers here could use a tool for a day or week, without having to buy it. These have become very successful in the U.S., enabling small contractors to compete with larger companies and to thrive. The best way to start would be for an existing construction supply and equipment store to reserve several tools for rent. |
DETAILS Viability: 2 Partner Local Business Sustainability Very good, if profitable |
Sports Area
Zona de sport Alexander Woods found a funding source to construct a few sports facilities in Moldova. Perhaps a futball pitch? My partner, Alexandru Crigan, left, found a small village with a beautiful stadium where the spectators sit on concrete bleachers. This grant could help install plastic seats and fencing to make the facility even more beautiful and a lot more comfortable. |
DETAILS Viability: 3-9 Partner Diorel Dandara, Sef, Directia Invățămînt tineret și sport Sustainability Capital project donated to school |
Hospital Renovation
or Photo Project Renovarea spital sau proiect Photo The oldest building here is a part of the hospital and is fairly historical (Built by the same Rișcani man whom they named the Rișcani district in Chisinau after.) I could apply for the U.S. Embassy Ambassador Grant ($32,000 - $200,000, deadline in Feb. 2016) but my partner is very hesitant to get involved in this project because of the many people who would be involved. I think the urașul owns the building, and then there is the hospital board, etc... We toured some of the building in late December and I took several photographs. Click HERE. |
DETAILS Viability Grant - 1 Photo - 8 Partner Gheorghe Roșu, Director Spitalul Rișcani Sustainability Single Event |
Lake Trail
Lacul Trail The lake here could use a circumnavigational footpath. Good for fitness and tourism. Most of the property is owned by the urașul, with maybe one or two lots privately owned. My partner thought the project might work, but the Primar does not like it, citing the private property as a deal breaker. |
DETAILS Viability: 3-9 Partner Victor Bogatico, Primarul Orașului Rișcani Sustainability Capital project donated to city |
Piata Building
Piata de constructii The meat & cheese building in our piata burned down nine years ago, leaving a large, empty space in the middle of the very crowded piata. There is great opportunity to either rebuild the structure or at least put something there temporarily. It is owned by the orașul and the folks here at the raion are not very interested. I spoke at length with the Primar, but he is not interested. He has been trying to build something there for a few years, but needs financing. He won't let vendors in there temporarily, because he says he won't be able to move them out when they begin construction. |
DETAILS Viability: 2-5 Partner Victor Bogatico, Primarul Orașului Rișcani Sustainability Capital project donated to city |
Costesți
COSTESȚI Build a campground and a produce-processing facility near dam and lake on the Prut river. Riscani Raion head of construction Ion Costestchi is considering these as private projects. They are large-scale projects, but he is only considering them at this point. I might be able to help him plan the facilities, but better able to market the concepts to investors and grantors. |
DETAILS Viability: 6 Partner Ion Costesțchi, Director of Construction for Rișcani Raion Sustainability Good |
Water Project
Proiect de apă This is an existing project that the Raion is working on in the early stages. I would like to help in any way I can. It is a very large project, and though they may find small ways for me to assist, I cannot see how this will be a major project for me. |
DETAILS Viability: 8 Partner Ion Costesțchi, Director of Construction for Rișcani Raion Sustainability Good |
Duruitoarea Bridge Duruitoarea Podul This is an existing project that the Raion is working on in the early stages. I would like to help in any way I can. It is a very large project, and though they may find small ways for me to assist, I cannot see how this will be a major project for me. |
DETAILS Viability: 8 Partner Ion Costesțchi, Director of Construction for Rișcani Raion Sustainability Good |
Apartment Associations
Asociații Apartament I believe that most apartments here are privately owned, and that maintenance, repairs and overhauls are conducted ad hoc. I think that if apartment buildings had organizations, life would be much better and stable within them. These organizations should, however, collect fees to spend on maintenance and save for large repairs, and create and enforce rules, which may not be feasible or welcome here. |
DETAILS Viability: 2 Partner Victor Bogatico, Primarul Orașului Rișcani Sustainability Fair |
 Could simply move these units to a single, busy location.
Classified ad board
Panou Aviz Without a large newspaper or local TV station that offer classified advertising, people in Riscani have no central, exclusive place to post an ad when they want to buy or sell something, or hire or be hired. There are many places to post such notices; on trees, several boards, and a few of these very clever, repurposed, old oil drum towers that spin. But no central place. No single place where notices are organized "classified," where you knew that, if you wanted to, say, sell something, that most people who are looking for that thing will see it, and if you wanted to buy something, you would know that everyone selling such an item would post it there. Step 1: Find the busiest place in town, likely in or near the piata Step 2: Build a large board, or several small ones, with designations (in Romanian & Russian); "For Sale," "Job openings," "wanting to work," "Houses / apartments for sale / rent," etc. Step 3: Someone would have to groom the board, removing old or inappropriate notices and moving notices to correct places. This sounds like a lot of trouble, but this will work only if people continue to believe that it is the best source of information. Americans can't understand the great need for this because we have newspapers and publications for this, and now Craigslist. Moldovans can't understand the need for this because they have never seen it work. Websites like Craigslist exist in Moldova, but are not used reliably in small cities and villages |
DETAILS Viability: 4-7 Partner Victor Bogatico, Primarul Orașului Rișcani Sustainability Fair |
Notices / ads newspaper inserts
Anunțuri în Ziare I'm not sure how the local newspaper operates, but the office is in the raion center, and the editor works closely with the people here. The paper is weekly, four pages, with a 1,000 print circulation, and costs 1 lei. It appears to be a newsletter for the raion council, reporting on their progress and activities. I don't know if they would want to -- or can -- run an insert. Perhaps an ONG could run this. It could sell the ads or notices, print the sheets, insert it into the printed paper, and pay the council. |
DETAILS Viability: 2-9 Partner Lilia Opalco, Editor, The Evinente Sustainability Very Good (Profitable) |
