October 9, 2023
News
The war in Ukraine has driven millions of people from their homes. Moldova has taken in more than 700,000 people since the start of the war, and around 100,000 remain in the country. 37-year-old Valentina and her two daughters have also found refuge in the Moldovan countryside, where they stay with their relatives. They could cover their utility bills and other basic needs thanks to financial help from Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova.
The family left Odessa to stay with relatives in Moldova
Valentina lived with her husband and two daughters, 4-year-old Sofia and 17-year-old Liudmila, in Odesa, southern Ukraine. The city was hit by bombing on the first day of the war. Valentina fled to safety with her family when the Russians also began shelling a nearby power plant in early March last year. "Watching the war on TV is completely different from living in it. We did not have a cellar at home where we could hide. That is why I went to Moldova with my children," Valentina describes the beginning of the war.
Valentina is originally from Moldova and has relatives there who provided the family with accommodation in the village of Etulia in the south of the country. "We live in a house with our relatives, and we do not pay rent thanks to that. But we spend a lot on heating the house, which is quite big. So we only heat some of the rooms," Valentina explains.
Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova helps refugees in remote regions
Utility bills and other expenses complicate the family budget. Valentina earned money by picking fruit and vegetables during harvesting, but otherwise, work in Etulia was scarce. "The villages here are quite isolated from the rest of the country. It is a one-hour drive to the nearest major city, and there is no public transport to rely on. Even locals, not just refugees, have trouble finding work here," Valentina says of the situation in rural Moldova.
Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova offered help to the family in the form of immediate cash assistance. "We are very grateful for the help. We often see on social media that many humanitarian organisations are helping refugees in Chisinau and other larger cities. But they will not reach this isolated region. We appreciate Caritas Czech Republic helping here because there are many refugee families here," Valentina says gratefully. In addition to monetary support, we also provided Valentina with hygiene kits and a voucher to buy winter clothes.
The children are getting used to their new surroundings, but the family still looks forward to returning home
While Valentina's younger daughter Sofia has started kindergarten in Moldova, older Liudmila is taking online classes. "The study programmes in Ukraine and Moldova are different, especially in history and languages. That is why Liudmila joins the classes in Odessa via computer. She would like to study medicine," says Valentina. Both daughters have made friends among the local children and the refugee community. "But they are both homesick."
The family would like to return home as soon as possible, but the security situation has yet to allow them to do so. "Odessa is a militarily strategic place, so bombing is so frequent there. We plan to return home, but not now. In Odessa, the kindergartens are closed; Sofia can go among her peers. I would not want her to sit in front of the TV all day," explains Valentina, who would like to open a clothing shop when the family returns home.
How does Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova help refugees?
More than 700,000 people have headed to Moldova since the start of the war in Ukraine. For most of them, it has been a transit country, but more than 100,000 refugees from Ukraine continue to stay in the country. That is quite challenging for poor Moldova. Caritas Czech Republic in Moldova has equipped 12 centres to provide decent housing for refugees.
We helped the war-affected people thanks to support from the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and Caritas Luxembourg. We provided immediate cash support to refugees while improving their access to healthcare, including psychological support. We also helped refugees with supermarket vouchers, vouchers for clothes, and the distribution of hygiene kits. In total, we supported 15,000 people in this way.
We help people affected by the war thanks to the support of donors who contributed to Caritas for Ukraine appeal. Thank you for helping us to help.
