The MEET Community Centre from Chisinau is the place where displaced parents and children from Ukraine but also from the Republic of Moldova find not only a sheltered but also a friendly atmosphere.
Those who step through the doors of the MEET Centre also benefit from a series of activities organized for both children and parents within the framework of LabDesign (drawing, painting, calligraphy, etc.). On the one hand, LabDesign activities help participants to get closer and learn from each other, and on the other hand, both parents and children can create something beautiful together by expressing themselves through art. Another enriching aspect is that parents from Ukraine discover Moldova, while parents from Moldova learn about Ukraine.
In LabDesign we work in small groups of approx. 20 children and 15 parents. When children are involved in the LabDesign workshops, their parents are engaged in discussions and handicraft activities or simply socialize with each other. Often parents seeing the children’s activity ask: “What about us adults, what are we going to do today?”
Among the parents involved is Eugenia, a young mother of two girls: Alisa – 9 years old and Alina – 2 years old. Eugenia, like many other mums, took refuge in Moldova two years ago, with the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
“Our participation in these activities was like a ray of light in our new life. We felt that we were more than refugees, we were part of a friendly community. Our children found friends here and we were welcomed with open arms. It’s like an extended family for us,” – Eugenia warmly confessed.
The creative and psycho-social activities for children and parents are organized weekly and are coordinated by the MEET team and volunteers.
“The MEET Centre provided an opportunity for refugee parents to communicate, create together and overcome some of the stresses and barriers caused by the situation in Ukraine and become an important part of the community. Even in the face of challenges, they managed to stay strong and set an example of courage and friendship for those around them.” – Natalia Timciuc, MEET team.
This story is part of the “We are from Ukraine, We love Moldova” campagne and is carried out in the framework of the regional project “Civil Society Resilience and Media Response to the War in Ukraine”, funded by the European Union in the Republic of Moldova and implemented by People in Need Moldova, in partnership with the Prague Civil Society Centre and the Netherlands Helsinki Committee, with contributions from the Global Fund for Children (GFC) and developed by the Institute for Rural Initiatives / Institutul pentru Inițiative Rurale (iRi).
To see other success stories from the “We are from Ukraine, We love Moldova” campaign, please visit the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) Facebook page: