Staff file photo
Moldova's Voronin, right, in Raleigh at the state Capitol in 2002.
RALEIGH -- When the newly elected President Vladimir Voronin of the small, impoverished Republic of Moldova visited Raleigh for an extended stay in 2002, a head-of-state visit was unusual for us. Voronin was Moldova's third elected president and was an old-school Communist. Previously he had not travelled overseas and had ventured very little outside Eastern Europe. In 2001, Moldovans returned the Communists to power because the people were cold, poor, and becoming poorer.
Voronin came to North Carolina because of the North Carolina-Moldovan partnership. When he arrived, he looked acerbic. He reminded me of those standing on Lenin's Tomb for the Soviet Union's May Day parades.
In five days he visited Raleigh, Greensboro and various places in Eastern North Carolina. We had only one Moldovan flag, which we hurriedly moved from one visitation site to another before his arrival so that he must have thought our state was filled with Moldova's symbols. As he learned about the achievements of North Carolinians in helping Moldova, his mood changed.
Unlike the single flag, the deeds were many. By the last day at a reception in the History Museum, ebullient Voronin was patting backs and shaking hands like a good Raleigh politician.
Moldova was formed when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, but there was a rebellion in the north. Our national military leaders responded to a call for assistance by asking the N.C. National Guard to advise their new army. Once in Moldova our guardsmen saw a distressing situation in Europe's poorest country. Individual guardsmen called upon experts here to assist in various humanitarian projects. The response was abundant but so was the need.
For more than a decade we have helped Moldovans pull themselves together into a body politic.
With federal aid, N.C. State University assisted the Moldovan agricultural in post-harvest technology. Previously, precious little attention was given to the quality and marketing. Under communism, all that was expected was to meet the quota and send the harvest off. Also we sent 13 tons of donated science-journal books and over 300 computers for schools.
What did we get in return?: 1) overhead funds which contributed to our budget; 2) our faculty learned to deal with farmers who had good plant and animal husbandry but no concept for the free market; 3) an inner sense that we had helped.
Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, led by Brenda Orders, provided internships in the business, agriculture and public health to approximately 230 participants from Moldova. The Moldovans had three to five weeks of hands-on practical training. They learned and deeply appreciated their experiences here.
Volunteer North Carolina experts worked on water and sanitation issues, often on their own expense. Physicians, dentists and medical service specialists assisted by: 1) improving water and sanitation facilities in some of Moldova's elementary and secondary schools; 2) implementing an improved health education curriculum for Moldovan schools of medicine, pharmacy and nursing. At one time, only about half of Moldova's hospitals had running water. I cringe to remember the Moldovan public schools that had toilets in separate shack privies.
The Moldova World Children Fund, led by Ray West (Hendersonville), supports children in many ways. Dr. Steve Mackler (Greensboro) organized dental clinics throughout Moldova. National Guard physicians and dentists regularly went to Moldova to assist with inoculations and dental clinics. Moldova's health minister commented that North Carolinians' efforts inspired medical specialists there to remain in Moldova rather than immigrate.
Our state National Guard has fought hard for us in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also they represented us as models for humanitarian work. Never shall I forget the orphanage building that our Guard constructed and the help with water supplies given to orphanages in deplorable conditions and housing bright children who want more out of life than fate has dealt them. President Voronin awarded Moldova's highest medal for a foreigner to Julie Glandt of Charlotte in a ceremony for her loving energy on behalf of Moldovan orphans. The old Communist almost cried; certainly his eyes misted.
These examples are only a few of the projects that have been and are being done. How proud and grateful we should be to those among us who have helped a struggling people who have harmed no one and ask for so little. North Carolinians benefitted knowing they have given so much to so many.
Voronin was impressed. Although he lost the next election, now Moldova's people have different perspectives. Moldova looks to the West, rather than back to Russia, for allegiances in part as a result of North Carolina.
John M. Riddle, emeritus professor of history at N.C. State University, was principal investigator for a State Department grant for the Moldova project and a member of the N.C.-Moldova Bilateral Committee.
