World Vision trains local partners and staff on cash and voucher programming in Moldova

World Vision conducted a five-day training dedicated to humanitarian workers for Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Chisinau, Moldova. "Grow and become better as a team" was the theme of the first Cash Learning Partnership (CALP) training in Moldova.

This course was co-organized with World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response (UCR) Moldova, as well as World Vision Global Cash Transfer, in coordination with the Moldova Cash Working Group. 

The event brought together 30 participants, including World Vision staff from Moldova, Georgia, and Romania, as well as representatives of local partners We World, HelpAge, Keystone, Communitas, Ave Copiii, and Food Bank.

A number of humanitarian workers from UN agencies and INGOs working in Moldova also attended the course, including UNCHR, ADRA, Catholic Relief Services, IOM and Charity Centre for Refugees.

As humanitarians from Moldova, Romania, Georgia, and in my case from Zimbabwe, we are here to work together, to be trained, to train, to build each other up, and to help the most vulnerable.

The training was led by Isidro Navaro, World Vision's Senior Technical Advisor for Cash Transfers and Market Programming, and supported by two CO-Leads: Sharon Sibanda, Senior Technical Advisor for Cash Transfers and Market Programming, and Youssef Mhanna, World Vision UCR Moldova Operations Director. 

As stated by the facilitators, the course will enhance the implementation quality and increase the capacity of Cash and Voucher Assistance to help vulnerable families.

"As humanitarians from Moldova, Romania, Georgia, and as in my case from Zimbabwe, we are here to work together, to be trained, to train, to build each other up, and to help the most vulnerable," said Sharon Sibanda, who is also part of World Vision's Disaster Management and Global Rapid Response Team.

She added, "As this response has been running for almost two years, we thought it was time to impart some of our training skills and knowledge to the local humanitarian workers."

"This way they can continue implementing Cash and Voucher Assistance effectively and disseminate what they have learned back to World Vision and their various NGOs," Sibanda went on.

As a result of the CALP Training, in designing and implementing CVA, participants can now leverage diverse assessments, such as market assessment tools, to gauge feasibility.

They are able to analyze assessment data to select optimal delivery mechanisms and transfer values, prioritizing accountability to affected populations throughout the process.

Integrating CVA and market considerations into monitoring frameworks is crucial for effective implementation, while identifying best practices ensures quality and sustainability.

Navigating through existing tools, guidance, case studies, and research documents, will help humanitarian workers access the latest and most pertinent information on CVA-related practices.

The core idea of the training was to train participants to be able to train other CVA experts in Moldova. This purpose, then, is very reminiscent of a famous African proverb that Sharon shared at the end of the course, “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu,” meaning “A person is a person through other people”.

We're all people who, independently of our language, background, or education, can only grow and become better at what we are doing by learning from each other and realizing that we can go far just because we are together, just because we act as a team. 

To date, World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has reached over 321,000 individuals with cash vouchers for basic needs, and over 45,900,000 USD in cash has been provided in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia.

Story and photos by Dan Munteanu, Communications Officer