Gradiște: Equipment for a Family Farm Through an EU Grant

In the village of Gradiște, the Strogoteanu family raises sheep, continuing an occupation passed down from one generation to the next. Nicolae, together with his wife and father, wanted to turn this family activity into a business that could grow at home. To save money for investment, he worked abroad for two years before returning to Moldova and receiving an EU grant through the PARE 1+1 Programme.

The 250,000 lei grant was used to purchase a tractor, a mower and a hay rake. Using their own savings, the family also bought 38 Assaf sheep, a breed known for its productivity.

“If we hadn’t received our first grant from ODA, first of all, we would have lost faith that something could be achieved. It was a tremendous encouragement,” says Nicolae Strogoteanu.

PARE 1+1 is a programme designed for Moldovan migrants and their relatives, under which every leu invested by the entrepreneur is matched by one leu in non-reimbursable funding. The programme is managed by ODA with the support of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the European Union.

For the family in Gradiște, the grant provided equipment essential to developing their farm, complementing the investment they had made with money earned abroad.