august 2025 zaluceni & iliciovca
A team of 18 volunteers travelled overland to Moldova from Northern Ireland, England and Sweden (and for Barry & Jan, from France in their motorhome). The team took 2 lorries, the van and minibus, with Carita & Bjorn travelling by car from Sweden.
The aim was to create two bathrooms, one in the village of Zaluceni, on the border with Transnistria and one in the village of Iliciovca, both in the Floresti district. The photo above shows a panoramic view of the Zaluceni school.
The team would start in Zaluceni first, installing toilets for the boys and girls, a water boiler, sinks, hand driers and a separate toilet at the end of a hallway for the teachers. Outside a septic tank was installed for all the waste. Along with the project, the team also set up a free shop, with the clothing aid, bed linen, blankets etc all donated by many of you. Volunteers travelled around the village to deliver walking aids, wheelchairs, incontinence pads and food to the elderly. Due to its location, the team visited the Nistru river one evening, some going for a swim and others waiting to see if they would be swept away, as the current was quite strong. The scenery in the region was very pretty, with great views on entry to the village from a higher point and many fields of sunflowers.
After 5 days the team moved to Iliciovca, which was a poorer village and had worse outside toilets. Again the team would great a bathroom for the boys and girls, including the installation of another septic tank.
The trip did not pass with no mishaps, with the van requiring repair and both lorries needing attention too, TEECH will always be grateful for any donations people can make to keep the vehicles on the road, which are key to making any trip possible.
First time TEECH volunteer Ryan wrote a little bit about her experience:
My first volunteer trip with Teech to Moldova in August 2025 was a fantastic and eye-opening experience. The entire project was coordinated extremely well, a testament to Rob & Holly’s meticulous planning and dedication to the charity. Our primary mission was to visit 2 schools in different villages and install toilet facilities, a life-changing improvement for the children and staff of the school. Realising the immediate impact of our work on the communities was incredibly rewarding. The warm welcome we received from the locals in each village made everything that Teech does even more meaningful. I really enjoyed delivering food packages and medical supplies to the villagers in Zaluceni. Seeing big smiles and happy tears during our visits was moving and humbling. The lovely part about the trip was that it was just a “get stuck in” approach to whatever you could lend a hand to, whether that be painting, carrying boxes or materials, setting up the “shop” to give out free clothes and bicycles, building trampolines, going out on deliveries, cleaning, etc.
Beyond the work itself, one of the most amazing parts of the trip was getting to meet and spend time with other volunteers. The team is a diverse group of people from all over the UK, Ireland and Sweden, each bringing their own unique stories and expertise to the projects. Whilst living together in the schools, there was plenty of downtime in the evenings, excellent food, drinks and fun to be had! As someone who is not really a camper, I was surprised how easy it was to adapt to living with camp showers and drop hole toilets.
Beyond grateful to have had this opportunity and I would highly recommend to anyone who has always wanted to get on board with a volunteer project. It was inspiring to be part of a team so genuinely committed to making a difference. Thank you Teech!
Pictures from the two projects have been added to the following page – click here to be taken to the photo galleries.
The aim was to create two bathrooms, one in the village of Zaluceni, on the border with Transnistria and one in the village of Iliciovca, both in the Floresti district. The photo above shows a panoramic view of the Zaluceni school.
The team would start in Zaluceni first, installing toilets for the boys and girls, a water boiler, sinks, hand driers and a separate toilet at the end of a hallway for the teachers. Outside a septic tank was installed for all the waste. Along with the project, the team also set up a free shop, with the clothing aid, bed linen, blankets etc all donated by many of you. Volunteers travelled around the village to deliver walking aids, wheelchairs, incontinence pads and food to the elderly. Due to its location, the team visited the Nistru river one evening, some going for a swim and others waiting to see if they would be swept away, as the current was quite strong. The scenery in the region was very pretty, with great views on entry to the village from a higher point and many fields of sunflowers.
After 5 days the team moved to Iliciovca, which was a poorer village and had worse outside toilets. Again the team would great a bathroom for the boys and girls, including the installation of another septic tank.
The trip did not pass with no mishaps, with the van requiring repair and both lorries needing attention too, TEECH will always be grateful for any donations people can make to keep the vehicles on the road, which are key to making any trip possible.
First time TEECH volunteer Ryan wrote a little bit about her experience:
My first volunteer trip with Teech to Moldova in August 2025 was a fantastic and eye-opening experience. The entire project was coordinated extremely well, a testament to Rob & Holly’s meticulous planning and dedication to the charity. Our primary mission was to visit 2 schools in different villages and install toilet facilities, a life-changing improvement for the children and staff of the school. Realising the immediate impact of our work on the communities was incredibly rewarding. The warm welcome we received from the locals in each village made everything that Teech does even more meaningful. I really enjoyed delivering food packages and medical supplies to the villagers in Zaluceni. Seeing big smiles and happy tears during our visits was moving and humbling. The lovely part about the trip was that it was just a “get stuck in” approach to whatever you could lend a hand to, whether that be painting, carrying boxes or materials, setting up the “shop” to give out free clothes and bicycles, building trampolines, going out on deliveries, cleaning, etc.
Beyond the work itself, one of the most amazing parts of the trip was getting to meet and spend time with other volunteers. The team is a diverse group of people from all over the UK, Ireland and Sweden, each bringing their own unique stories and expertise to the projects. Whilst living together in the schools, there was plenty of downtime in the evenings, excellent food, drinks and fun to be had! As someone who is not really a camper, I was surprised how easy it was to adapt to living with camp showers and drop hole toilets.
Beyond grateful to have had this opportunity and I would highly recommend to anyone who has always wanted to get on board with a volunteer project. It was inspiring to be part of a team so genuinely committed to making a difference. Thank you Teech!
Pictures from the two projects have been added to the following page – click here to be taken to the photo galleries.
