35 Years of Moldova: Woven Together

Thirty-five years of building a state, navigating difficult transformations and crises, and continuing to make choices about the country’s own future.

For People in Need, there is something familiar in this journey. We are a Czech organisation, born from the experience of democratic transition and a belief in solidarity with societies going through change. From our own part of Europe, we know that transformation takes time, that progress is rarely linear, and that becoming part of the European Union does not mean giving up what makes a country or its communities unique.

As a Pole, this resonates with me personally, too. Poland’s history has taught us that independence and the freedom to choose your own path should never be taken for granted. Our histories are different, but I believe we share an understanding that this freedom comes with responsibility: each generation has to make its own choices, shape its own path, and preserve that freedom for those who come next.

Recently, at the traditional Moldovan carpet festival in Gaidar, in Gagauzia, in southern Moldova, I was struck by a simple image. A carpet is never made from one thread. Its strength and beauty come from many different threads, colours and patterns woven together — and from the many hands behind them. 

(© Dmitrii Vosimeric)

There is something of Moldova in this image. 

Over these 35 years, the country has been woven from different communities, ethnicities, languages, traditions, generations and experiences. Some threads stretch deep into the past; others are only now becoming part of the pattern. They do not need to be identical to belong to the same picture.

Today, as Moldova moves forward on its European path, this feels particularly important. European integration is often discussed through reforms, negotiations and institutions. But ultimately, Moldova’s future will also be shaped much closer to home: in villages and cities, schools and local civil society organisations, independent media and businesses, and in the everyday choices people make for their communities.

At People in Need, we are fortunate to see many of these threads up close. For more than 20 years in Moldova, we have worked alongside people, civil society organisations and public institutions across the country — from Chișinău to small rural communities, from the north to Gagauzia in the south.

To mark 35 years of the Republic of Moldova’s independence, we want to celebrate not only how far the country has come, but also the people who continue to shape its future. In this PIN Moldova Newsletter’s edition, we share just a few of their stories — their work, ideas and determination — some of the many threads that together make up Moldova today and will help weave the country’s next 35 years.

Thread by thread. Community by community. Generation by generation.

Moldova’s future will be made by many hands.