Moldovan diaspora invests in home country development

Mihai Sălcuțan left Moldova seeking opportunities he didn’t see at home, and now runs a business in France.

Twenty years later, he supports his hometown of Mereni through a local association, a model for diaspora engagement supported by Switzerland. He wants his children to know the place he once longed to leave. Around 2004, Mihai, then 19, left Mereni, a village near Chișinău, because he lacked the financial means to continue his IT studies.

After years of temporary work in Romania, the Czech Republic, and Italy, he eventually settled in France with the help of a friend from his village. He started as a mover, learned to drive trucks, and eventually opened his own retail store in Toulon after gaining experience helping others establish businesses. After nearly three years abroad, Mihai returned to Moldova for the birth of his daughter, realizing positive changes were happening in his hometown.

This coincided with Swiss-funded initiatives supporting local development and diaspora involvement through organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Moldova). These initiatives helped communities create associations to plan local projects and raise funds. Mihai now contributes financially to Mereni, recently funding a new sign saying "I love Mereni" and helping to improve the local park.

These associations are expanding across Moldova, with the Alliance of Native Associations of Moldova now representing 108 groups that have implemented over 300 local projects worth almost 4 million euros. Switzerland will continue to support these efforts through its 2025 to 2028 cooperation program, focusing on governance and social cohesion. Mihai hopes his children will maintain a connection to Moldova, even as they build their lives in France.