LIFE STORIES OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
“I fled the war to save my two children Rada of 16 years old, and Rustam of 14 years old, to give them a future where they could follow their dreams, grow up in peace and forget the howling of the sirens that herald death” – this is how Rada Cricunova (1988) from the city of Dnepr (Ukraine), mother of two children, who are temporarily settled in the municipality of Bălți, began her discussion when I visited her again to offer the aids provided in the Project “Medical and Social Services for Ukrainian refugees from Moldova – Phase III”, financed by the international organization Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V.
In March 2022, the Russian invaders’ bombardment of Dnepr increased in intensity as the front approached the Zaporozhian axis. “If during the day we still had the possibility to go to the store for products, at night a real calvary began – we had the impression that they were dropping bombs especially on the civilian infrastructure. Every morning, after I left the shelter, I saw the buildings of hospitals, colleges, kindergartens destroyed… The decision to leave was taken immediately after one of the rockets completely destroyed the school my children attended before the war started“.
They were evacuated at night, covertly, as the Russians knowingly fired on the refugee columns. There, in Ukraine, they left everything, including house and food. Her sick mother decided to stay in the care of relatives because, being disabled, she was not going to survive the journey. They took with them only the bare essentials – the documents and a few clothes that fit in their hand luggage. The journey to Moldova took almost two days. Arriving in Balti, they had their first peaceful night – “it was the first time since the beginning of the war when I couldn’t sleep because of the silence – no sirens are heard, no bombs flying, no buildings explode, no cries of terror are heard, and a fine scent of spring flowers was floating in the air.“
Rada could talk endlessly about the kindness of the people of Moldova: “Everyone was talking about the Moldovans’ kindness. At one point, when our bus was driving with its headlights off for fear of being hit by Russian bombs, we had doubts that we would escape alive, that somewhere there would be complete strangers waiting for us who would jump to help us. But, immediately after crossing the border with Moldova (Rada’s eyes are covered with tears), we were convinced that the people of this small country have a big heart – they all made an effort to help us – with transport, with supplies, with information. And they did it absolutely selflessly. I had the impression that only a people that went through the ordeal of war, through the horrors of occupation, can be so responsive to the needs of refugees“
Right from the first hours of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the members of the Public Association “Homecare” were actively involved in the management of the refugee crisis. The municipality of Bălții, being the 2nd largest in Moldova, received an impressive number of people fleeing the fury of war. With the help of the team from Medical-Social Center Rebeca, Rada’s family benefited from food products, first aid medicines, hygienic kits, tableware sets, psychological counseling, and last but not least, legal consultations – “on their recommendation but also with their help (of the team from Medical-Social Center Rebeca) we managed to obtain the status of temporary protection in the Republic of Moldova. This has allowed us to benefit from more government facilities – my daughter Veronica is now in the 10th grade, she wants to follow her dream of becoming a doctor. The boy, Rustam, is in the 8th grade and continues his boxing career already here in Moldova.“
This family started their life in Moldova from scratch, trying to forget the horrors of the Russian invasion. As long as there are people like the “Girls from Homecare” then all the persons who are suffering still have a chance for a brighter future, is convinced Rada.
The activity is part of the “Medical and Social Services for Ukrainian refugees from Moldova – Phase III” project, 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 health and social protection services.
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