USAID EDGE project grantee Casa Veche, a rural guesthouse, has been hosting Ukrainian refugees from the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. USAID Administrator Samantha Power visited Casa Veche to understand the situation and show U.S. support to the Moldovan people.
Casa Veche, a newly renovated guesthouse in the village of Palanca, Moldova is a grantee and beneficiary of the USAID EDGE Moldova Competitiveness Transition Activity (MCTA).
Palanca is near the Ukrainian border, and the Casa Veche guesthouse has been hosting about 100 refugees and feeding over 200 people since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
During the meeting with Administrator Power, the hosts shared their concerns about the difficulties and challenges they are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the business lockdowns. They, as the entire tourism sector, are trying to survive and withstand the financial and emotional crisis. Despite all these challenges, Moldova’s tourism sector has shown a prompt response and true solidarity with the Ukrainian people, demonstrating authentic hospitality towards Ukrainian refugees, and confirming that Moldova is a “small country with a big heart.”
Following the meeting with Ms. Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, on April 6, 2022, Administrator Power reaffirmed USAID’s commitment to helping Moldova meet their immediate needs and announced $50 million of additional economic and development assistance to bolster Moldova’s resilience to the long-term economic consequences.
