The recipe of sweet success: how Olga Bencheci opened her bakery in Saharna, Moldova

Budapest (ILO News) - Olga Bencheci, the café's manager, has spent a significant part of her life abroad. When she was 15, she moved to Italy with her parents. There she pursued her studies and started a family, but always longed for home. A few years ago, she decided to return to her native village, wanting to contribute to the community's prosperity and to fulfil her dream of owning her own business. "With four children and only one source of income, my husband's salary, I understood that I needed to find a job. I tried several options, but it was difficult to find a suitable one. The best solution was to create one myself, in such a way that I could combine work with raising my children. As I had always been passionate about baking, the idea of opening a café that would offer culinary delights to tourists in the area came to me", says Olga.

Initially, she lacked the necessary financial resources and entrepreneurial skills to realize her business idea. The solution came in 2023, when she learned from the Local Action Group (LAG) "Three Hills", an implementation partner of the LEP, about the opportunities offered by the LEP established with the assistance of the ILO to contribute to job creation and transitions to formal employment.

The implementation of the Rezina LEP involves approximately 16 national and local public and private partners, including non-governmental organizations, financial, educational, and vocational training institutions, the employment service, producer associations, enterprises, and investors, who work closely to jointly develop and implement solutions to labour market challenges, tailored to local needs.

Olga admits that at first she was sceptical, but thanks to the assistance received within the LEP, her idea quickly took shape. First, she took an entrepreneurship course and developed a business plan. Then she obtained a grant of approximately 67,000 lei (about 3,700 USD) from the ILO and a post-investment subsidy of 186,000 lei (10,300 USD) from ANOFM to cover the expenses needed to start a business and equip it. Thanks to these funds, Olga purchased ovens, refrigerators, display cases, and other necessary equipment, and with her own contribution, she renovated the premises and had them connected to utilities. Located right at the entrance of the scenic Saharna monastery, one of the biggest centres of religious pilgrimages in Moldova, the café attracts both tourists and locals, contributing to the development of the locality.

"In the village, there was a need for a café like mine. 'Nidea' is not just a café that offers locals and tourists healthy and tasty pastry products. It is also a tribute to my family, which has always supported me in everything.

"In the village, there was a need for a café like mine. 'Nidea' is not just a café that offers locals and tourists healthy and tasty pastry products. It is also a tribute to my family, which has always supported me in everything. The name of the establishment comes from the initials of our children: Nicole, Iustin, Damian, Etien, and Agata. Family support, financial assistance, and guidance provided by ILO and LEP partners made my dream possible, and I am very proud of what I achieved", explains Olga Bencheci.

Olga is one of the beneficiaries of the LEP in Rezina. Throughout 2023, over 420 people from the Soroca and Rezina districts benefited from entrepreneurial training, 260 unemployed people found jobs in the local labour market, and 150 people launched or expanded businesses. Moreover, LEPs have facilitated the labour market integration of over 2,400 young people who previously were not in education, employment or training (NEETs). From 2018 to 2023, the ILO implemented five LEPs in the Republic of Moldova, in the districts of Cahul, Cantemir, Căușeni, Soroca, and Rezina.