PACT - Community Enterprises Development Program

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Public Report in support of community projects in Constanta sustained by PACT through Community Fund Pontus Euxin In early June 2011, PACT launched Community Fund Pontus Euxin, totaling 32.600 RON, under its management. The Fund was established by selling tickets at the conference-event, held up by actor Dan Puric in Constanta, on November 20th 2010. The event was organized by a group of citizens in Constanta (constituted as an Initiative Group for Community Fund Pontus Euxin), with support from PACT Foundation, in order to attract funds to sustain local community projects. The main purpose of the fund is to stimulate initiative groups and NGOs in Constanta to develop projects that contribute to producing positive changes in different urban communities in the city of Constanta.

PACT Foundation held Wednesday, December 7th, from 19.30 at Café Godot Theatre, a medieval theme party, which is the second fundraising event from private sources for the Community Fund for action and transformation of villages in southern Romania. The total amount collected at this event, of 8754 lei, from selling tickets, "all pay" auction (everyone pays) for special objects donated and classic auction for works of art offered by artists, will be used to support projects initiated by groups of citizens in rural communities in southern Romania.

Project title:

COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Description:

The project aimed at supporting alternative income-generation activities that would create an appropriate environment for the economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups. In order to achieve this goal, the project started supporting the creation and development of 7 community enterprises in 7 rural and urban communities in the Southern part of the country.

A community enterprise is an economic activity facilitated and developed by a community-based organization or group, in order to contribute to the economic development of a community and to facilitate the economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups. A community enterprise mobilizes and bring added value to community resources, creates jobs and reinvests the profits in the community.

Location:

Dolj, Gorj, Mehedinti, Valcea, Olt, Teleorman and Arges counties

Duration:

June 2007 - May 2008

Goal:

The Community Enterprises Development Program aimed at contributing to the economic development of disadvantaged communities.

Beneficiaries:

In June 2007, 7 community-based organizations were selected to participate in this project:
• Rudezis Association (Giurgita commune, Dolj county)
• Humanity Rom Association (Iancu Jianu commune, Olt county)
• Muscel Association for Education and Culture (Campulung Muscel, Arges county)
• “I Care For You” Association (Breasta commune, Olt county)
• PROEUROYOUNG Association (Malu Mare commune, Dolj county)
• Soul To Soul Foundation (Ramnicu Valcea, Valcea county)
• Panaghia Community Development Association (Panaghia village, Calopar commune, Dolj county)

The project addressed active organizations, which work in a participatory manner with community members, towards the integration of marginalized and disadvantaged groups.

Activities:

The 7 community-based organizations selected in the program would benefit from:
• 10 training days (divided into 3 training modules) on the following issues: mobilizing community members for starting a community enterprise, the concept and process of community enterprise development, entrepreneurship skills, enterprise plans and feasibility studies, products and services development, marketing and client management, financial management.
• 4 consultancy visits in the community, to the purpose of supporting the community-based organizations in assessing the needs and resources within the community, analyzing the entrepreneurial potential and drawing a market analysis, in the elaboration of a enterprise plan and in the process of initiating and managing a community enterprise that would provide jobs within the community and produce an income to be reinvested within the community.
• financing – Foundation PACT and the community-based organizations will jointly identify ways to finance the community enterprises, through fundraising campaigns, partnerships with micro-financing institutions or project proposals addressed to institutional donors.

Project results:

Following this project, 7 community based organizations have gained knowledge and abilities regarding the initiation of community affairs. From among these, 4 organizations have elaborated business plans for initiating a community affair and 2 of these organizations even managed to start a business - a traditional Oltenian carpet workshop in Giurgita commune (Dolj county) and a hairdresser’s saloon in Iancu Jianu locality (Olt county).

With the support of Provident Financial Romania, PACT Foundation granted 5000 euros financing for the development of the traditional carpet workshop. Within this pilot project, PACT Foundation has developed a training and consultancy methodology for developing community affairs, which the Foundation intends to use in future projects as well.

Donors:

USAID through World Learning, Charles Stuart Mott Foundation and Provident Financial Romania

Contact person:

Magdalena Tancau, Program Coordinator

Documente proiect:

DescrierereProiectAfaceriComunitare.doc

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