A student started baking bread for her entire village

Her name is Doina Roscot, she is 22 years old and is from Taraclia village, Causeni district. Not so long ago she was a student and looked for a job. Now she is a legal entrepreneur.

Doina would have liked to have her own business, but never thought her dream would come true so soon. It all started when an acquaintance happened to tell her about a grant competition open for young people on both banks of Nistru river, aiming at their economic empowerment. Doina acted promptly and didn’t miss this chance. She already had a business idea in her mind and intended to open a bakery in her village.  

"I told myself that I will open a bakery if I’m lucky and win this competition. A family friend from another village has a bakery and when I went to their place it made me think about opening a bakery in my native village, especially that the village needs one”, the young entrepreneur recalls.

Doina joined the competition and completed her business plan with the support offered by the experts of Business Consulting Institute. She went through all the stages, learning how to launch and manage a business and became one of finalists, winning a grant of 10,630 Euro. Grants were awarded by the European Union through the Support to Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova. 

Doina Roscot has purchased a mixer and an electric oven for her newly launched business. It still took about six months to prepare all the documents and obtain all the authorizations, and connect the bakery to the electricity network. Doina said it would have been impossible to open the business without the financial support from the EU. Now she is proud of herself, as she produces and sells bread, rolls, braids and other homelike bakery products.

The company has three employees and has the potential to expand. In the near future Doina is planning to invest in new machines, including bread cutting and packaging equipment. It will make profit increase, while local needs will be fully met.

Doina Roscot advises those who have the courage to engage in business to access European grants, as this is good and reliable help in achieving their dreams.