“The Voices of Young Community Journalists of A.O. C.R.D.C.: Munteanu Andriana”

Munteanu Andriana is a young girl from the village of Leca, an 8th-grade student at “Mihai Eminescu” Gymnasium in Cantemir, who addressed an issue affecting not only students from the localities of Leca and Toceni, but the entire community — the advanced state of deterioration of the school bus that transports students daily to the gymnasium.

The school bus, which plays a vital role in ensuring access to education for young people from Leca and Toceni, is in a severely deteriorated condition and no longer meets the safety standards required for transporting students. This issue was highlighted by Andriana in an article she authored herself. Her courage and determination to write about this problem ensured that the young journalist’s voice was heard and gained significant public attention.

Andriana went beyond simply writing about the issue and actively participated in a meeting with the Cantemir General Education Department (DGÎ), where the necessary steps for identifying appropriate solutions were presented. During the meeting, local authorities provided clear explanations regarding the legal and financial procedures required to purchase a new school bus or repair the existing one.

Andriana’s involvement highlights not only the importance of community journalism in identifying and reporting local issues, but also the power of the younger generation to influence decision-making processes at the local level. She demonstrated that everyone has an active role to play in the development of their community and that change can begin with young people, through the courage to speak up about what is not working properly.

The article written by Andriana served as an open call to authorities and the wider community to identify effective solutions for ensuring safe school transportation for all students. This is a clear example of how community journalism can foster dialogue between citizens and authorities in order to address real community needs.

To explore the articles written by Andriana, visit jurnalist.md or follow the links below:

https://bit.ly/4jhaszv
https://bit.ly/3S3TNn4

Andriana’s experience within the project

“It was an interesting experience. I learned to better observe the problems in my community and analyze them. Writing the article helped me organize my ideas and deliver a clear message. It was challenging, but also rewarding to know that I could draw attention to something important for people.”

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.