About Dancu and Tabita

Dancu is a village in the west of Moldova, close to the Romanian border. It has a population of about 2000, and a Baptist church with some 100 members. Dancu is amongst the poorest villages in Moldova: unemployment is very high; good land lies fallow because farmers cannot afford to work it; wages average £20-£30 per month; young people leave the village to find work abroad; alcoholism is a widespread problem; and the social infrastructure has not recovered to the level it reached before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Faced with widespread poverty and a sense of hopelessness, the church is involved in a range of social and economic projects, such as:
  • pig and cow breeding provides poor families with free livestock
  • poor farmers - without their own machinery - are empowered through a mechanization project (tractors, combine harvesters, etc.)
  • dairy, cereal and oil products support orphanages and the poor
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  • Tabita's new barn means poor farmers can store crops and sell them when prices are much higher
  • free vocational training is offered to a small number of young people
Through these and other measures, the church's Tabita Association aims to help the 150-200 poorest families in Dancu, lifting them out of poverty and into sustainable livelihoods. This is a powerful testimony to God's love for the poor, and a response to the hopelessness that is fostered by poverty. Chris hopes to support Tabita by drawing on his experience as a management consultant, masters degree in development studies, and Bible college training.


Members of Dancu Church Dancu Church viewed from afar Dancu is next to the flood plains of the River Prut Members of the church's youthgroup The school in Dancu A traditional house in Dancu Dancu's new communal barn Tabita machinery bringing in the harvest

© 2012