Community-Driven Rural Development in Romania

A community-driven rural development initiative in Romania's Bod and Vulcan communities, replicating the successful Women’s Neighbourhood Association model from Saschiz. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme (grant No. 101000797), the pilot enhanced collaboration, capacity building, and local need identification. Outcomes include strengthened community networks, improved well-being, and institutional resilience. The WA model, formalised in 2015 and supported by the ADEPT Foundation, enabled social, economic, and health initiatives—such as the Rhubarb Fest, health fairs, and the 'Bucate din Vecinătate' food box project—scaling from 20 to 2,000 participants. Long-term success depends on local leadership, asset mapping, annual surveys, and NGO facilitation. The model is scalable and replicable for rural revitalisation.