Festivals, local virtual tours, crafts workshops, cooking master classes, E-pies, bike tours, ZOOM get-togethers, movie watching, quizzes, meetings of the local businesses and people – all these are conducted online in August in 33 communities, to celebrate the Diaspora Days.

The thematic of the 2020 Diaspora Days is “One week at home”, as the city halls, in partnership with hometown associations, prepare 220 online activities during August. The switch to online is a solution in times of pandemic. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Diaspora Days at local level, organized with support of UNDP and Switzerland.

“August offers the opportunity to support communities to engage with diaspora members. Despite the online celebration, the spirit of the Diaspora Days is special thanks to the wide array of online activities and tools. Besides bringing people closer, the events contribute to the digitization of communities, therefore turning the pandemic into an opportunity for efficient and constructive communication with the diaspora. We are also launching now 18 crowdfunding campaigns, to back local projects,” noted Zinaida Adam, “Migration and local development” Project Manager.

Every community has available a schedule of economic, social, cultural and fund-raising activities. They are advertised on the respective hometown association’s Facebook page and included in a national calendar of Diaspora Days at local level.

“Although we were worried that the pandemic was going to hinder our plans to organize the Diaspora Days, we will discover uncharted territories: an online festival with a bread braiding master class, quizzes for children and young people, a virtual tour to discuss the local economic situation and the launching of a crowdfunding campaign to support the procurement of a multi-functional tractor,” says Tatiana Chiparus, chairperson of the “Plai Natal – Taraclia” hometown association from Taraclia village.

To respond to migrants’ immediate needs, the communities will be familiarized with the online services available on national platforms to tackle cadastral, legal matters and other issues. The National Employment Agency (NEA) joined the celebrations of the Diaspora Days as well through “New directions AT HOME” campaign. More than 20 regional events will be conducted throughout the entire month, to inform people, including diaspora members, about the vacancies available and the services provided by the NEA.

“The Diaspora Days are a unique chance to make the local opportunities well known to Moldovan emigrants. It is in August when we have the chance to reach out to a wider diaspora public, to people who are back home either virtually or physically,” tells Raisa Dogaru, Head of the NEA.

The Diaspora Days at local level are organized since 2016, with support from UNDP and Switzerland and are part of the national events conducted by the Bureau for Diaspora Relations.