When she left everything behind, she didn’t know if she would ever be able to rebuild her life. Thanks to the ‘Initiative to Support Refugees’ project, she started afresh, turning this new beginning – which had fundamentally changed her life – into a story of success.

Irina Frolova is 38 years old. She used to live in Kherson. She arrived in Nisporeni a year ago. At first, she found it difficult to settle in, but surrounded by kind-hearted people, she found the strength to carry on. “I was very lucky,” Irina admits. “Thanks to the support from the refugee centre’s administration, the local vocational school and the sponsors, I had the opportunity to take the micro-qualification course ‘Data Entry, Validation and Processing Operator’, which was a real breath of fresh air for me.”

Described as “particularly useful and intensive”, the course, held at the Vocational School in Nisporeni, was not limited to “dry theory” but focused on developing essential skills for a future job. For her final practical assignment, Irina decided to develop a volunteering project. “This idea turned into a real achievement! I teamed up with like-minded people, we submitted our project to a competition and won funding through a grant. It was an incredible feeling – to realise that all the knowledge I’d gained was bringing real benefits to those around me!”

The micro-qualification course not only gave Irina a new profession, but was also the key factor in her adapting to a new reality and integrating into the local community. As a result, Irina found a better-paid job working online. “Now I have security for the future. I am very happy and extremely grateful for the chance to take part in this course. I would like to thank our teachers from the bottom of my heart. I was impressed by their warm, personalised and very attentive approach. Whenever we didn’t get something right the first time, they patiently explained all the tricky bits to us and helped us believe in our own abilities.”

This is Irina’s journey in our country. Her story is an example of how an opportunity offered at the right time can change the course of a life. Her personal success demonstrates that, beyond the trauma of being a refugee, the desire to learn and to work opens new doors, and the ‘Refugee Support Initiative’ project, including through its micro-qualification courses, restores the confidence and independence these people need to move forward with their lives. The ‘Initiative to Support Refugees’ project is implemented by the PRO DIDACTICA Educational Centre, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as part of the Humanitarian Response in the Republic of Moldova.