Participatory Budgeting Hackathon in Cahul: Community Ideas and Citizens’ Vote

On March 14–15, 2026, the Regional Center for Community Development (CRDC) organized at Community Center Cahul the Participatory Budgeting Hackathon “Solutions for the Community” — an event dedicated to engaging citizens in identifying and addressing local challenges.

For two days, refugees, migrants and local residents of Cahul worked side by side, analyzing community challenges and developing project ideas that could improve the quality of life in the city. The event had a practical and interactive format, with participants guided through the process of developing community projects, from identifying the problem to defining activities and preparing a budget.

The activities were facilitated by Tatiana Tronciu, who coordinated the working sessions and supported participants in transforming ideas into concrete initiatives.

Three projects for the Cahul community

As a result of the hackathon working process, participants developed three community projects addressing real needs identified in the city:

• “Our Clean and Welcoming City” – a project aimed at installing waste bins in areas where they are missing, contributing to maintaining cleanliness and promoting a culture of responsible waste management.

• “Harmony with Nature – Unity of Generations” – an initiative focused on organizing themed weekend hiking trips for youth, promoting social interaction, outdoor activities and intergenerational connections.

• MoveZone – “Territory of Active Life” – a project aiming to transform an old volleyball court into a free multi-sport hub for volleyball, pickleball and badminton, open to all community members.

The community decides the winning project

A key element of the hackathon is the participatory budgeting process, through which the community is directly involved in decision-making. After the hackathon, the three projects developed by participants were submitted to a community voting process.

Therefore, members of the Cahul community are invited to review the projects and vote for the initiative they consider most relevant for the city.

The project receiving the highest number of votes will be selected for implementation.

📌 Voting is open until March 20, 2026, 17:00.

👉 The voting form can be accessed here

Through this mechanism, the hackathon gives the community the opportunity to actively participate in the development of the city, while the initiatives generated by participants can become real solutions for Cahul.

The hackathon “Solutions for the Community” demonstrates that dialogue, collaboration and civic engagement can generate valuable ideas and contribute to building a more active and united community.

This project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union, contracted by ICMPD through the Migration Partnership Facility. The content represents the sole responsibility of the Regional Center for Community Development and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union.