The environmental organisation Gutta-club is responsible for SPARE in Moldova. Gutta-club has schools from the whole country involved in SPARE, including schools in Transdnestria. Gutta-club is doing windows restoration projects and is demonstrating use of new renewable energy sources. For these purposes Gutta-club has established cooperation National energy institute.
SPARE in Moldova
Moldova is located in the very center of Europe. It is a small and sunny country, with contours that form a grape cluster. However, it is one of the poorest countries of Europe, with many problems while problems with energy and rational use of natural resources are one of the most serious.
In Moldova, all important energy sources – oil, coal and gas are imported from neighboring countries. Small amounts of electric energy are being produced by the hydro power plants at rivers Dniester and Prut, which is insufficient for the high populated country. Therefore, active use of renewable energy sources would help Moldova to expand its energy resources and to decrease the dependence of import.
National coordinator of SPARE from 2002 is international school project for resources and energy use is GUTTA-CLUB, with a support from Norwegian society for conservation of nature.
GUTTA-CLUB is environmental umbrella organization for 17 children and youth organizations, from the entire country.
One of the main tasks of GUTTA-CLUB is the environmental education of children. Initiator and international coordinator of SPARE is Norwegian society for conservation of nature.
Introducing the culture of the energy consumption among the population of Moldova can only be achieved if we manage to educate children, which will carry the responsibility of nature protection in their country and the whole world, before too long.
That is why SPARE – international school project for resources and energy use, is active in the country since 2002. The project is adjusted to the middle school pupils, but active participants are also younger pupils and students from higher education institutions.
The aim of the project is to teach children of reasonable using of resources of nature, to bring knowledge of the environment, to also include the adults into energy and resources saving, to stimulate their habits of a environmentaly competent citizen of Moldova, who is creating the future of its country in accordance to the sustainable development.
Participants and partners
Project SPARE in Moldova is supported by the Ministry o education and today public and state organizations take part in its realization. Organization such as The Main Education, Science, Youth and Sport directorate, Institute of science and education, Scientific research institute Energetics of Moldova, Kishinevki state university, NGO SREE, "Spre viitorul", ‘Association of wind energy Moldova’, and other became part of the project. Also, SPARE is supported by the municipal and regional governments.
In 2005-2006 academic year in SPARE – Moldova, 62 educational organizations are taking part, not only schools, but also Children’s Creative Center, Station of young technicians, and public children’s environmental organizations from 18 towns and villages on both banks of Dniester river in Moldova. There are even more schools that support the project, too.
Since the project had a wide presentation via mass media, and different seminars, SPARE has a great popularity in Moldavian schools, many teachers showed a great interest to work on the project and are ready to take part with the beginning of the new academic year.
The season 2004-2005 became a period of widespread of the project throughout Moldova. New public institutions became part of the project, such as Institute of science and education, then also new partners appeared, such as ‘Association of wind energy of Moldova’ with N.S. Konstantinov on its head,the manager of Komrat region, and great enthusiast in developing alternative energy use in our country.
A good exchange of information was established between participating schools, via electronic communication media, publications in the newspaper GUTTA became regular, where teachers and pupils report on results of SPARE, the special double edition of the magazine on success of the SPARE project in Moldova became regular.
Seminars for teachers and on practical use of ‘Energy saving’ were organized, as well as the presentation of the book in Romanian language ‘Three Es: economy, energy, energy saving’.
Actions for energy resources saving ‘Under your home’s roof’, ‘Energy saving school’ were organized, and garbage using ‘Waste for gain’ action.
With the support from Ministry of the education, we announced the competition for teachers for the methodology projects with the topic ‘Renewable energy sources and Energy saving in school’. Children from our pilot schools (‘Olympus’ from Pugacheni village, school A. Russo from Kinishev town)took part and received high awards for scientific practical project within SPARE at conferences and olympics all over the country.
Best SPARE activists from period 2004-2005, both teachers and pupils, took part in the summer environmental gathering. And one additional success of this season – participation in Ecotopia 2005 passing the Saharna village at the Dniester bank, and not as the guests, but as the chief organizers of seminars and tests of power units on the alternative technologies!
The main topic OF ECOTOPIA - 2005 – Alternative Technologies (AT)
Gutta-club organized its eco camps at the same time with Ecotopia, and beside teachers and pupils around the country – the best ones in SPARE project last year, in our team we had scholars from Institute of Energetics of Moldova, expert in technical sciences Ermuratski V.V. PhD, and scholar Macenko A.P., Kapralov A.I. – managers in realization of renewable energy practical tasks.
Guttas – kids and teachers brought not only good mood but also their best scientific works from the area of Alternative Energetics, and pupils helped build experimental energy installations: portable solar collector, solar drier, solar stove, solar shower was built using big collectors from IE AN Moldova, and all installations were tested. Gutta team organized 4 seminars:
1. RE (past, present, future) in Moldova
2. SPARE - Educational programs in RE direction for students
3. Developing students' practical abilities: practical work on insulation and building solar collectors, preparing demonstration models:
• Building Solar Collectors
• Simple Solar Stove
• Solar Fruit Dryer
On our invitation, with the presentation of modell installation the head of the ‘Association of wind energy in Moldova’ – Konstantinov N.S. took part in Ecotopia.
And of course, within our SPARE camp a big scientific-practical conference of pupils’ work was organized. According to the public opinion of all participants, we have been the brightest and most energetic youth group at Ecotopia. SPARE project received over all approval and supporters in Poland, Ireland, Turkey, Romania, and other countries, even as far as Kamchatka!
During the project implementation, textbook ‘Energy saving’ has been translated and published in Romanian language.
For children of lower grades, an energy tale was written.
A material on possibilities for energy use in Moldova ‘Three Es’ was published. Its author is Ermuratski V.V. (IE AN Moldova)
Booklets in Russian and Romanian ‘Under your home’s roof’ , ‘Save the water’ and ‘Garbage – that’s bad!’
Two double special editions of GUTTA magazine were published in a large number of copies in 2005. in Romanian and Russain language.
Plans
In 2005 we included over 80 schools in SPARE, from different areas of Moldova and Pridniestrovia. We will be glad to see your school, your face, your children’s club or organization in SPARE Moldova network!
How to get involved?
We do not have a special form of national applications, for taking part in Moldova project, but we are always open to work with you.
That is why we invite everyone who wants clean future of Moldova to take part in work at SPARE project. We have a lot of interesting plans, actions, competitions, ideas in this season. We wait for you!
