21 young people from Hîncești and Florești districts have acquired traditional craft skills and are ready to start artisan businesses

During three months, the program participants, including 10 women with family responsibilities from rural areas, attended a training course developed by the Union of Folk Craftsmen. It included both practical and theoretical training under the guidance of 9 experienced folk craftsmen. The participants learned to create handicrafts from ceramics and wood and practiced weaving, embroidery, and other traditional crafts. Furthermore, they benefited from scholarships, financial assistance for the procurement of necessary equipment, entrepreneurship training, and legal support for registration of their businesses.

Ludmila Ștefan from Bujor village, Hîncești district is among the beneficiaries of this program. She is a mother of three children and learned the art of weaving. Thanks to the program, she obtained a complete weaving set and now has the opportunity to open a workshop at home. 

"I have learned a craft that makes me happy and can yield some income for my family without going abroad. It’s much more difficult to find permanent job in the village, so I was looking for an additional source of income to complement the earnings of my husband," Ludmila stated.

Ilie Spânu, a folk craftsman from Bozieni village, Hîncești district, transmitted the art of artistic woodcarving to 2 apprentices. 

"Thanks to the ILO’s support, I purchased a wood sanding machine, which allowed me to modernize my activity. At the same time, I conveyed to my apprentices the skills they need to transform this craft into a stable source of income," said Ilie Spânu.

Diana Dicusarî, the chairwoman of the Union of Folk Craftsmen of Moldova, highlighted the positive impact of the initiative: 

"We focused on fostering a new generation of folk craftsmen and formalization of artisanal activities offering the craftsmen access to local, regional, and international markets. The program has supported the preservation of cultural heritage and contributed to expanding the economic opportunities for women and youth, most of them being from socially vulnerable groups."

The artisan enterprises registered as a result of this Initiative will be encouraged to become members of the Union of Folk Craftsmen of Moldova and to participate in thematic training, and professional development programs, as well as to establish commercial connections with similar foreign organizations.

"Local Employment Partnerships have demonstrated that traditional crafts can become a driving force for the economic development. The results achieved within Florești LEP demonstrate that, through collaboration, we can generate positive changes in rural communities. Transforming crafts into viable businesses contributes to the preservation of traditions and generating of jobs on the local level," emphasized Vasile Tîltu, Chairman of Florești district.

On-the-job training in the artisan sector is one of the seven Intervention Lines of the Local Employment Partnerships implemented in 2024 in Hîncești and Florești districts by the ILO project "Inclusive and Productive Employment in Moldova," with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The initiative aims to create new jobs, encourage the transition to formalization, and stimulate local economic growth.

For more information, please contact:  Violeta Vrabie, ILO project coordinator. Phone: + (373) 78 11 33 90; e-mail: vrabie@ilo.org