PHOTO/ Biggest social enterprise of Moldova delivers over 65,000 warm midday meals to refugees

Chisinau, 20 January /MOLDPRES/ - The biggest social enterprise from Moldova, „Floare de Cireș” (Sweet Cherry Flower), which works in the Razeni settlement, central Ialoveni district, during 2022 delivered more than 65,000 warm midday meals to refugees who had come to Moldova. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita visited the enterprise today. She thanked the enterprise’s employees for the effort made and the confidence to develop a social business in difficult times.    
Contacted by MOLDPRES, the executive director of the Eco-Razeni Association, founder of the aforementioned enterprise Sergiu Gurau said that, at present, 200 portions of meal daily reached the tables of refugees who live in Moldova. Besides, the dishes cooked at the social canteen are delivered for free by the enterprise’s employees to 40 families from socially vulnerable families of the village, including elderly people and children, who receive a warm meal thrice per week.    
The enterprise plans to extend its work and move to another headquarters, six-folder bigger than the present one, in the near future. The new social canteen will be endowed with the most advanced equipment and the employees will be able to carry out their activity in better working conditions. These things will allow the company to daily deliver up to 350 portions of meal to refugees. At the same time, the number of Razeni residents to benefit from a warm meal free of charge will increase to 150.    
The expenses for the delivery of warm meals are covered, to a great extent, by enterprise’s private partners. Nevertheless, about 7-20 per cent of the expenses are borne just by the entrepreneur.    
Presently, 13 out of all those 31 employees of the enterprise are people with special needs. After the moving to the new building, where a small bakery will work, at least 10 new jobs will be created. Besides, the enterprise carried out also a training programme for young people with special needs, who want to become cooks or waiters. So far, 200 young people have been trained and 30 per cent of them have managed to find a job.    
PM Natalia Gavrilita awarded the entrepreneur a diploma on behalf of the government. ‘’We thank you for your work, for the confidence to grow and develop, confidence to be able to employ people with disabilities and to have not only a mere business, but a business with social impact, which helps us integrate people with special needs into the society. This proves that one can grow even when he/she prioritizes social actions. You have managed to adjust to the complicated conditions from the last year and you provided so many warm dinners to people who were fleeing the war. We will continue investing in programmes for entrepreneurs and obviously, in social programmes for people who need state’s assistance, in order to fulfill their potential,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.      
„Floare de cireș” is the first and the biggest social enterprise from Moldova. It was founded in December 2012 and had only five employees in the beginning.