A carpentry shop, opened with the support of the EU and UNDP, brought a family back together

Inspired by her father's craft and motivated by the desire to reunite her family at home, Ludmila laid the foundations for a modern carpentry shop, which is now growing and finding its place on the market thanks to the work, passion, and support of development partners.

"I registered the company in 2023, based on my dream of opening a carpentry shop, building on my late father's small business," says Ludmila Donica. 

Her father was a carpenter all his life, working with his tools in a small shop on the family farm.

The desire to keep her father's tradition and memory alive became a personal mission for Ludmila, and the decision was not purely economic, but deeply emotional: "I thought that if I started this business, my brother might return to Moldova, because he was planning to take his family and leave permanently for Denmark, where he had been working recently," says the entrepreneur. 

Ludmila's brother had been abroad for 15 years and only came home once a year, at Christmas or Easter. 

The carpentry shop became the bridge that brought the siblings back together and allowed them to start building a future together, right in their hometown.

From a dream to a modern business

The first step was to find a suitable space. The shop took shape at the business incubator in Rezina, a place that offers good conditions for young entrepreneurs and small local businesses. With small steps, the team formed by Ludmila and her brother began to produce their first wooden objects.

A key contribution to the development of the shop came from the European Union Confidence Building Measures Programme implemented by UNDP. The programme provided equipment worth US$14,610.

"We received high-performance, state-of-the-art machinery, which now defines us as a company. This equipment is our pride and joy," Ludmila says proudly.

The equipment allows for the creation of complex products: personalized engravings, traditional sculptures, window shutters, railings, indoor and outdoor furniture. In a competitive market, these elements differentiate the business and attract more customers.

More than just machinery: mentoring, training, and support

Financial support was not the only help received. The programme also included training, mentoring, and counseling sessions in key areas such as sales and promotion. For Ludmila, an economist by training but with no experience in the wood industry, this training was essential for the development of the business.

"We weren't just left with the equipment and that was it. We had training and mentoring, which helped me enormously to get the business up and running and win my first orders," says Ludmila.

Today, she promotes and manages the business, while her brother has taken over the entire production side. Although he has no formal training, he inherited his father's skills and complemented them with training courses, becoming a true craftsperson.

A family business, a business with a future

Another source of joy for Ludmila is the involvement of the whole family in the project. Her son, inspired by the shop's work, chose to study "woodworking" at college, which reinforces the belief that this business has not only a present but also a future.

"Now the whole family is involved in this business. My son has entered college, also in this field. Our business has a future."

The plans for the coming period are ambitious. They want to create at least three new jobs to cope with the increasing volume of orders. At the same time, the team is negotiating with local wineries to supply wooden stands for wine bottles – a niche product, but one with great potential in the wine tourism industry.

Ludmila Donica's story is more than just an entrepreneurial success. It is proof that the right support, combined with determination and strong family values, can change destinies and become an inspirational model for those who are still far from home.