Following our efforts to engage the Făgăraș diaspora in local development (details about previous initiatives available here), between October 2019 and May 2020 we implemented the project “Țara Făgărașului is Home” alongside the Țara Făgărașului Community Foundation. This project marked another step in our learning journey about the mechanisms through which diaspora communities can reconnect with and contribute to the development of the places they once called home.
In 2018-2019, together with the Țara Făgărașului Community Foundation and Făgăraș Research Institute, we conducted a comprehensive research on the Făgăraș diaspora and its potential for involvement in Țara Făgărașului communities. The research captured both the migration phenomenon as a whole, including motivations for leaving, destinations, experiences abroad or upon returning, and the diaspora’s perception of Țara Făgărașului, their willingness to get involved, and the philanthropic behavior of those who had left.
The research also revealed areas of interest where diaspora members would be willing to contribute, or which they considered priorities for developing their home community. Among these, the Community Foundation decided to include two themes in an inaugural diaspora-focused fund: 1) Infrastructure and services for elderly people, and 2) Quality of public spaces. The choice of these two themes was justified primarily by their relevance both to those who stayed home and those who left, especially those considering returning upon retirement or concerned about the fate of parents and grandparents back home. Furthermore, the changes supported through this dedicated fund could be concrete and visible, strengthening the entire community’s confidence and the feeling that positive things are happening at home.
Supporting this initiative, the “Țara Făgărașului is Home” project aimed to analyze and deepen understanding of these two themes, both from a grantmaking perspective (gaining better insight into problems and needs in these two areas, what types of projects and actions would have the greatest potential for change) and from the perspective of potential grantees (how local civil society can develop to better respond to these needs), connecting these efforts with international best practice examples. We also explored ways in which the local community and those who left can work together to revitalize the area and cultivate connection and attachment to home through a strategic communication initiative about places of origin in Țara Făgărașului. Finally, the project proposed methods for evaluating the impact of the fund and supported actions, and outlined next steps for the fund’s design and implementation. The project’s final report can be accessed here.
The project also included disseminating our journey and lessons learned through an event and resource document accessible to other community foundations eager to mobilize diaspora communities in the development of the communities they serve. The presentation from that event can be accessed here.
As a result of this project, in 2021 we launched “Făgăraș Însuflețit,” which focused on activating latent spaces in the city and you can read more about it here.
