On December 10, 2015, “Pro-Business Nord” (PBN) NGO has organized and provided a Conference of Closing for the Project “Women’s Career Development Program” (WCDP), realized in the Northern region of the Republic of Moldova during 2009 – 2015, with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development – USAID (within the grant CA # 121-A-00-09-00703-00). For these period the project attempted to realize the following goals and objectives:
Project Goal: Development of a new social enterprise model for a sustainable Women’s Career Development Program in the Northern part of Moldova. Objective I: To develop and strengthen the potential of at least 700 vulnerable women through empowering them with professional training and offering them opportunities to opt for independent living strategies and to improve their economic welfare. Objective II: To ensure independent and self-sustaining income generating sources, by creating and developing a new Social Enterprise, to continue the PBN’s activities in the implementation of this community-benefiting Program. Objective III: To support and encourage the development initiatives of women in the Northern region of the RM, through empowering them with entrepreneurial skills to create and promote their own businesses. During the Project implementation period, PBN has constantly developed its regional partnership network which includes about 100 strategic partners from different spheres of activity: Local Employment Agencies, Local Public Administrations, governmental structures, educational institutions, local and regional business entities, NGOs and Mass media. Each of these actors played a significant role contributing to a successful collaboration and helped the project to achieve the following results:
- 1930 women became project beneficiaries;
- 52 Professional Development Courses on 6 specialties, were delivered to more than 620 women;
- 53 Personal Development trainings (Trainings for Sustainable Livelihoods – TSL) were delivered to more than 700 women, helping them to make their own choices in life and improve it;
- more than 800 women managed to develop their career due to Project assistance in job placement and due to self-employment;
- 294 women received training in business development and planning, and as result 57 microenterprises were registered, financially supported and currently operate;
- since 2010, PBN created and is successfully developing the Distance Learning School (DLS);
- approximately 2000 beneficiaries have been trained combining DLS and in-class lessons;
- 24 courses were developed on the basis of Distance Learning School, and 14 manuals were developed and published;
- 20 trainers were trained within the Training of Trainers;
- It was created and is developing the Business Support Center “PROBIZNORD” LTD (founded by PBN), as a model of social enterprise which will ensure the sustainability of PBN’s further activities in the community.
At the event there were present the Project implementation team, representatives of the donor agency, representatives of regional and local partners and project beneficiaries. These participants at the Conference came together to review the project achievements, to highlight the important implementation stages and components, to share successful experiences, to discuss further impacts of WCDP and to ensure continuously the durability of the Program activities in the Northern region of Moldova.
