Money

I’ve been working a lot – or at least trying to work a lot – with the
accountants in the mayor’s office. They’re a busy lot. I’ve seen
lots of spreadsheets of salaries, particularly of teachers, and I’ve
got to say it’s not good.

The director of one school earns about 1700 lei per month, and most
teachers earn around 1300 lei per month. That’s roughly $135 and
$103 per month.

As a Volunteer, I receive a living allowance from PC – thank you for
paying your taxes. Not including the money I receive for language
lessons or the small vacation allowance PC gives all Volunteers, I
receive… enough to live on. Every PCV receives a slightly different
amount based on where they live – in an expensive city or in a
village and proximity to the capital. About half of my allowance
covers room and board and the rest is left for travel within Moldova,
eating out, or miscellaneous expenses like gifts, my cell phone, etc.

I wouldn’t say that I’m living extravagantly (save the cell phone).
I don’t eat out or drink in my village – there are no cafes that
serve food. If I go to the capital on official PC business
(training, committee meeting, medical) I get a modest per diem that
covers my meals, provided I don’t blow it on overpriced dishes. At
the end of most months, I have a little extra left over – nothing
that anyone would consider anything more than (literally) pocket
change in America.

The reason I write all this is to illustrate the difficulty of living
in this country - let alone supporting a family - on the salaries
given. It’s no wonder that almost a quarter of this country’s
population is currently working abroad, or that the vice-mayor here
told me everyday last week how she wants to live and work in Russia
where she can earn a better living. [The following is an editted version of the original post based on a comment which you can read below that changed my opinion - Thanks, Sergi] I hope that soon Moldovans won't need to go abroad to find decent paying jobs. Many children here are being raised by a single parents or extended family because their parent(s) are working abroad to provide a better future for themselves and their families. In some cases, there are success stories. In others there are not. But I think all can agree that the best option would be to at least have the option of finding a good job in one's own country.