”MoveZone”- From a Community-Voted Idea to a Sports Court for Young People in Cahul

After several months of waiting, planning, discussions and working together with local partners, we can finally say that “MoveZone” is ready.

On 25 September 2026, the “MoveZone” sports court was officially inaugurated at Dimitrie Cantemir Theoretical Lyceum in Cahul municipality – an initiative that, in the spring of this year, existed only as an idea presented during the Participatory Budgeting Hackathon.

The Hackathon was organised within the project “Local Mechanisms for Inclusion and Protection of Migrants and Refugees in Cahul” and brought together young people, community members, refugees, migrants and local residents who worked on concrete ideas for the community.

Among the initiatives presented, “MoveZone” received the highest number of votes, becoming the winning project to be transformed into a concrete intervention.

The idea came from the “Liceiștii” initiative group, and their proposal was very practical: to develop a volleyball court in the courtyard of Dimitrie Cantemir Theoretical Lyceum, which could be used by students and become a space for physical activity, interaction and joint activities.

However, moving from an idea to the sports court we see today required much more than votes. This was followed by identifying a technical solution, carrying out the development works, coordinating with the institutions involved and, very importantly, mobilising additional resources.

An essential role was played by the Cahul Municipality, which joined the initiative and contributed financially to its implementation, covering approximately half of the costs required for the development of the sports court.

For us, this contribution was important not only from a financial perspective. It showed that an idea coming from young people can receive institutional support and become a concrete example of cooperation between civil society, local public authorities, an educational institution and the community.

The launch event brought together representatives of A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară, People in Need Moldova, Cahul Municipality, the Southern Regional Directorate of the General Inspectorate for Migration, the lyceum administration, the initiative group and the school community.

In her remarks, Irina Bejan, Administrator of A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară, spoke about the joy of seeing such a tangible result completed and highlighted the very good cooperation among all parties involved.

For CRDC, “MoveZone” is one of those examples where the process matters almost as much as the final result: the idea came from the community, was discussed, presented and voted on, and was then developed together with partners until it became a reality.

Nicolae Dandiș, Mayor of Cahul municipality, appreciated the initiative and the involvement of the group that proposed it, as well as the fact that cooperation made it possible to create a new space for students’ sports activities.

In turn, Victoria Koloteeva, Deputy Programme Director at People in Need Moldova, thanked A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară for the fruitful cooperation and for its involvement in implementing project activities at local level.

The event was also attended by Serghei Kaptalan and Alexandru Șeremet, leaders of the “Liceiștii” initiative group, who contributed directly to promoting and developing the “MoveZone” idea.

Luminița Zgardan, representative of the Southern Regional Directorate of the General Inspectorate for Migration, also highlighted the successful cooperation developed among the institutions and organisations involved and expressed openness to continuing this cooperation through new joint initiatives dedicated to the community, refugees and migrants in the region.

The lyceum community was represented by Svetlana Șerepera, Director of Dimitrie Cantemir Theoretical Lyceum, together with students and teachers who will be able to use the sports court for sports and extracurricular activities.

The day chosen for the inauguration also carried special significance. On 25 September, the lyceum organised its Sports and Health Day, an activity that has already become a tradition at the institution and is held annually. During the event, students took part in a wide range of sports activities together with children and young people from other educational institutions, including relay races, contests, competitions and other activities aimed at promoting physical activity, teamwork and an active lifestyle.

As a result, the launch of “MoveZone” was not a separate event from the life of the lyceum, but naturally became part of a day in which the entire school community placed sport, health and team spirit at the centre.

And the new sports court did not remain “newly inaugurated” for long. After the official part, it was immediately put to the test during the “Health Cup” competition.

The first cup played on “MoveZone” stayed right at home: the team of Dimitrie Cantemir Theoretical Lyceum won the competition. 🏆

For us, this is probably the best way to conclude this stage: with a sports court already in use, with students on the court and with an idea that moved from a Hackathon presentation to a concrete result for the community.

“MoveZone” reminds us that participation should not remain limited to consultations or discussions. When there are people who come forward with ideas, institutions willing to support them and partners who contribute to their implementation, participation can lead to visible changes that remain in the community.

Throughout the project “Local Mechanisms for Inclusion and Protection of Migrants and Refugees in Cahul”, A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară worked closely with People in Need Moldova, Cahul Community Center and the General Inspectorate for Migration – Southern Regional Directorate, together with other local partners. This cooperation made it possible not only to carry out individual activities, but also to develop initiatives through which refugees, migrants and members of the host community could participate together in community life.

We thank the “Liceiștii” initiative group, the management and community of Dimitrie Cantemir Theoretical Lyceum, Cahul Municipality, People in Need Moldova, Cahul Community Center, the General Inspectorate for Migration – Southern Regional Directorate, and everyone who contributed to turning this idea into reality.

This project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union, contracted by ICMPD through the Migration Partnership Facility. The content is the sole responsibility of A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union.