In March, Anna Kaniauskene, who worked with AVSC's program in Moldova, received a letter from Dr. Semion Sirbu, director of the family planning room at the Drochia Regional Hospital in Moldova.

"We have great news to share with you," wrote Dr. Sirbu. "On April 7, 2000, the opening of the Women's Healthcare Center in Drochia will take place. . . . Our center will [provide] medical services for women of different ages with a special focus on . . . reproductive health and family planning. . . . None of those things would have been possible without help from our partners, . . . AVSC support and funding, and your personal assistance.

"Your unlimited energy and dedication . . . inspired us so many times," he continued. ". . . Our staff have decided that we will name our center in your honor, Anna! It is for us to keep working as hard as you do and for you to know we appreciate all of your hard work!"

How It All Began

AVSC started working in Moldova in 1995, when the Ministry of Health set out to improve the country's family planning services. (See the Fall '99 issue of AVSC News for more information about AVSC's Moldova program.)

Anna joined the program in April 1996 and was excited about facilitating training workshops and helping local counterparts improve the quality of reproductive health services. Within a few years, she began working closely with AVSC consultants Carol Flaherty-Zonis and Jeffrey Zonis to develop innovative training courses for doctor/midwife teams.

Anna thinks the new center will have a far-reaching effect. Clinic staff use AVSC materials and quality-improvement approaches, and some service providers are visiting AVSC's Web site to receive technical information.

"First of All, I Cried"

"It was probably the greatest moment of my professional life," Anna recalls feeling when she first read Dr. Sirbu's letter."First of all, I cried. I think [the Moldova staff] are great people, and I was happy to work with them.

"I want to credit AVSC staff Libby Antarsh, Nina Schwalbe [now with the Open Society Institute], Felicia Brockett, and Sandra Hodelin and especially our consultants, Carol Flaherty-Zonis and Jeffrey Zonis," she added. "Without them, success would have been impossible."

Anna's modesty was evident when her dedication, effort, and achievement were recognized at an AVSC staff meeting in April. Her honor will be a source of inspiration for us all at AVSC.

Liz Harvey is an editor and writer at AVSC.