“The Voices of Young Community Journalists of A.O. C.R.D.C.: Cozma Ruslana”

Cozma Ruslana, a 9th-grade student at the “Ioan Vodă” Theoretical Lyceum in Cahul, is an active young woman involved in multiple community-impact initiatives and a community journalist passionate about driving change. Within the framework of the “V.O.C.E.” project, Ruslana brought to the forefront an important issue affecting the safety of residents in the municipality of Cahul — stray dogs. This issue continues to pose a constant risk, and Ruslana not only highlights it but also proposes concrete solutions through which citizens can actively contribute to addressing the problem.

Ruslana’s article goes beyond describing the situation of stray dogs and includes clear recommendations for citizen involvement in solving the issue. She calls for donations and for redirecting 2% of income tax to an organization that carries out the sterilization of stray dogs. A concrete example is the “ScoobyDoo” Sterilization Point, which is actively involved in controlling the dog population through sterilization and adoption, having a significant impact on reducing their numbers.

Ruslana emphasizes the importance of continued support for the activities of this organization, which depends on financial resources to purchase food, provide necessary medical treatments, and improve animal shelter conditions. All these measures are essential to ensuring a safer and cleaner environment for the residents of Cahul.

Ruslana’s experience highlights the power of community journalism to inspire young people to actively contribute to solving problems in their communities. Her involvement is a strong example of how the voice of a young person can positively influence local reality, helping others realize that change begins with each of us.

The article written by Ruslana is available on jurnalist.md or can be accessed via the link below:

https://bit.ly/4kxtyCx

Ruslana’s experience within the project

“It was an experience I had been waiting to live for a long time, and A.O. C.R.D.C. gave me this opportunity. At first, it was difficult for me to write about a problem in my community because I did not often encounter challenges that constantly bothered me, and even if I disliked certain things around me, I did not have the courage to speak up or get more involved in solving community issues. After completing this task, I began to see everything around me from a different perspective, understanding that there are real community challenges. I had the chance to meet new people with whom I can collaborate in the future and who can offer advice and opinions. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the project — everyone was very friendly and open to new initiatives.”

This material was produced by the Regional Center for Community Development with the support of the Eastern European Foundation, using funds provided by Sweden. The views expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eastern European Foundation or of Sweden.