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.

With the support of the ‘Pestalozzi’ Children’s Foundation, 549 children enjoyed a wonderful adventure at a summer camp. The initiative covered seven towns (Cimișlia, Criuleni, Dondușeni, Comrat, Vulcănești, Ceadîr-Lunga and Chișinău) and comprised two sessions – a total of 14 camps, each lasting five days.

The participants – children from Ukraine and Moldova – learnt, played, socialised and made friends. Each of them got involved, worked together, experienced new emotions and had fun. Each of them returned home with unforgettable impressions and special memories of their time at camp and of their own achievements. Each had their moment of glory: when they felt part of a team, presented a solution to their peers, talked about customs from Moldova or Ukraine, explained the rules of a game, scored a goal, or when… ‘didn’t give away their mates’ secrets’ or realised that ‘nobody can do the finger trick better than me’.

Admitting that their stay had seemed too short, they appreciated the fact that they had explored and discovered many new things, games and interesting ways to spend their free time; that they had learnt new words in Romanian and other languages; and that they had learnt to communicate better with their classmates, to work as a team, to respect others’ opinions and to help their friends. The children discovered that girls and boys can do the same things together – from sport to team games – and realised that activities have no gender. But, above all, the children appreciated the fact that they realised anyone can become your friend if you are honest, respectful and helpful when needed.

The children thoroughly enjoyed their summer camp adventure and are already dreaming of the next one!

This is precisely what the event organisers – the project coordination team, local teams, authors, facilitators and volunteers – had hoped for; they joined forces to ensure a safe, inclusive environment that was sensitive to the diverse needs and experiences of the participants.

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The summer camp aimed to support the inclusion, communication, socialisation and socio-emotional development of the participants, within a comprehensive non-formal educational framework designed both as a way of spending free time and as a space for learning. It focused on developing skills that are important for the children’s personal and social lives: communication, cooperation, expressing emotions and opinions, respecting differences, active participation in a group, leadership, etc.

The activities were organised based on the ‘Facilitator’s Guide’ and the activity book for explorers, ‘Our Camp Adventure’, developed by Victoria Stratan and Elena Puzur.

The five days of camp were structured thematically, with the children completing the tasks in the activity book, divided into five daily missions. By combining games, storytelling, role-play and creative activities, the programme focused on five key areas: intercultural education, socialisation and social integration, effective communication, gender equality, leadership and personal initiative.

The project ‘Empowering refugee girls and boys from Ukraine through inclusive and empathetic education in the Republic of Moldova’, implemented by the PRO DIDACTICA Educational Centre, with the support of the ‘Pestalozzi’ Children’s Foundation.