LIFE STORIES OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
“This war, started by Russia, is the biggest misfortune that Ukraine is going through in its struggle for independence – thousands of people dead, hundreds of villages wiped off the face of the earth, millions of people fleeing Russian bombs and hundreds of thousands of families separated” – this is also the case of spouses Ivan and Liubovi Dobrenco (both born in 1958), who took refuge together with their grandchildren Denis (age 17) and Ilia (age 10) in Bălți.
On the day when I came to them to offer the aid provided under the Project “Medical and Social Services for Ukrainian refugees from Moldova – Phase III”, financed by the international organization Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V., I have found them outside, on a bench, somewhat exhausted – Liubovi, leaning on a crutch, whispered something through tears, looking at the bandaged leg, Ivan seemed to be staring at the ground – it was a day after he had buried his mother.
They cheered up as soon as they heard the door – the grandchildren came from classes: Denis is a student at the computer science college, and Ilia is a pupil in the 5th grade. This year he went to live lessons for the first time in his life – the first 4 years he learned online in Ukraine – 3 grades because of the pandemic, and in the 4th grade he couldn’t go to school because the war had started. He actually didn’t know how you feel when you’re sitting on a bench with your colleagues, and the bell rings to let you know it’s the big break…
They made the decision to come to Moldova only to protect their grandchildren. ”If we as adults could cope with the hardships of a war, for them it was something inexplicable – because we lived near a railway logistics point day and night we were bombarded by the Russians. How? Why? Where is our fault? These were the questions I heard from my grandchildren every time the rockets of the occupiers passed over the village of Stroinți, Vinita region, or when the windows broke from the explosions of bombs dropped nearby.”
Also from Liubov I understood how hard it was to be apart from their children (grandchildren’s parents) – they stayed to defend their country from the Russian invaders. “And now we feel a huge emptiness in our souls because this separation has several components – we parted with family, we parted with home, but we will never part with Ukraine, even if we are far from our native places.”
The grandparents and grandchildren of the Dobrenco family have been refugees for 1 year already. The road to Moldova was difficult because the bombings did not stop either day or night. They only stopped when they saw explosions around. When they crossed the Dniester, at the Otaci customs, the first moments of silence were like a revelation – smiling people that were doing their chores peacefully. And only the siren of the anti-aircraft defense, which could be heard in the distance, reminded them that beyond the customs, in their dear Ukraine, their compatriots are dying, at the murderous hand of Russia.
To their surprise, the accommodation process was quite fast thanks to the attention and care they received from the team of Rebeca Medico-Social Center . “As soon as we crossed the border, we were approached by some people dressed in vests with a little box with a heart printed on it (the logo of the Homecare team). They gave us first aid kits and guided us where we could take refuge. When we arrived in Bălți, we didn’t understand who these ladies are who take care of us – volunteers or medical workers. In the end I understood that they are people with a great heart, people of good faith. Throughout our stay we received from them food products, hygiene products, consultations, including medical help. They guided us how to obtain temporary protection status, they also offered us psychological support. Now we are going through some care procedures right in the premises of the Rebeca Medico-Social Center. We did not expect to see such care in a foreign country, which now, thanks to the Homecare team, we have started to consider our second home“.
The activity is part of the project “Medical and Social Services for Ukrainian refugees from Moldova – Phase III”, financed by the international organization Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V., and its main goal is to support 200 refugee families who are settled in the rural areas of the Republic Moldova, by facilitating their access to healthcare and social protection services.
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