With the support of the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, the Digital Hub in Chișinău brought together 49 children and 63 four-legged friends for the “Hand in Paw” festival. The event was attended by 32 children from Chișinău and 17 from Ukraine, who introduced their pets and shared touching stories about their adoption, as well as the unique bond and loyalty that bring them closer.

The event was organized under the auspices of the extracurricular program “Intercultural Education, Peaceful Coexistence, Sports, and Recreation” implemented by Digital Hub, aligning specific objectives toward a common goal: to facilitate dialogue and social cohesion between children from the refugee community and those from the host community. This demonstrated that caring for animals is a language capable of building trust among children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Sharing stories about the little creatures and practices of responsible care broke down communication barriers, and the empathetic setting fostered a warm and respectful dialogue. Through the games and contests held, the interaction became an experience of unity, offering children the opportunity to build lasting friendships.

The project “Empowering Refugee Girls and Boys from Ukraine through Inclusive and Empathetic Education in the Republic of Moldova” is implemented by the PRO DIDACTICA Educational Center, with support from the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation (Switzerland).