Traveler Sarah ventured to Moldova as part of a global pharmacy program with her university. When she wasn’t learning in the lab, she was learning out in the fresh Moldovan air.
As a country filled with fertile soils and a culture closely tied to the land, Moldova puts the "culture" back into its agriculture. Local wine, nutty pastries and fresh fruit fill the streets…and Sarah Mol’dove in head first.
In hopes of furthering the connection with this culture, Sarah set out to find fabric to create a Moldova Tote that would provide micro loans to people in Moldova. And it only felt right for this tote to support the family farms keeping this agri'culture alive.
Microloan recipient Anatonie will use his microloan to make improvements on his vineyard in hopes of a better harvest for local wine production. Gheorghe will transition from soil-degrading corn crops to soil-building walnut trees which are used throughout Moldovan cuisine.
After having Mol’dova the fabric options, Sarah found this fabric filled with patterns used in traditional Moldovan dress which perfectly represents Moldova’s culture as a whole.
Here’s to putting the culture back in agriculture and to feeling good—because after all, it’s Friday!
-Jack & Alley, Co-Founders
(1-4) Scenes of Moldova by Traveler Sarah Shockley. (5) (6) Photos of Kiva microloan recipients.