Education and crafts-making at child-friendly spaces empower Ukrainian children in Moldova

Miroslava, Anghelina, and Vasilisa are working on paper snowflakes and angels in a brightly lit room adorned with colorful posters, handcrafted ornaments, and wooden bookcases. The child-friendly space (CFS) in Chisinau, Moldova, run by Ave Copiii, World Vision's local partner, gives them a sense of comfort and warmth even though they have been away from home for more than a year.

Funded by Nachbar in Not, and Austrian Development Agency, the project aims to improve access to education and protection services for Ukrainian refugees and host communities in Moldova.

"Under the project we had the possibility to provide equipment and furniture for more than 17 child-friendly spaces in Moldova,” shares Natalia Cucu, World Vision's project coordinator.

Every day, between 15 and 25 children from socially-vulnerable families and Ukrainian children participate in educational activities dedicated to helping them integrate into Moldovan society, socialize, develop cognitively and emotionally.

“The project started these activities in May 2023 and will end in April 2024. We are convinced that this contributes to the continuous efforts to integrate Ukrainian refugee children into the Moldovan school system,” Cucu added. 

“Ukrainian children couldn’t even communicate with others, mainly because of the language barrier,” shared Ludmila Celac, socio-pedagogical animator at the child-friendly space.

Here, I find solace. In each carefully crafted work, I unwind and become calmer. It feels like all the teachers and other children are a big welcoming family who are ready to support you at any time.

“Their level of engagement with daily tasks and activities has increased over the last summer. Crafts provide them with a sense of calm, improve their learning, and foster self-expression," she adds.

After fleeing war-torn Ukraine, Miroslava and Anghelina arrived in Moldova a year ago. They had just finished decorating a Christmas stocking and were excited to place it next to the Christmas tree, which they had decorated a few weeks prior.

The girls have another three siblings who fled from a village in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region. Their two younger brothers, Andrei and Adrian, are enrolled in kindergarten in Moldova, as is their six-year-old sister.

Education was limited in their village in Ukraine. Because there were not enough pupils to establish classes, the school encountered a shortage in teachers. Children as young as seven were enrolled in the same class as 14-year-olds.

"Miroslava is in fifth grade, yet she had access to the education and knowledge of a second grader," shares Ludmila. 

She has improved her communication skills with her teammates as a result of her participation in this program, and she is now able to read comprehensive texts and complete her assignments, according to the socio-pedagogical animator.

The facilitators' mission is to make sure that Miroslava passes fourth grade. They are assisting her in better expressing herself in a language that is new to her, as she must pass all tests in Romanian.

Vasilisa, Miroslava's friend, who came from Odessa in February 2022, is actively engaged in the activities. "She's always in the front row," shared the facilitator smiling discretely.

"Here, I find solace. In each carefully crafted work, I unwind and become calmer. It feels like all the teachers and other children are a big welcoming family who are ready to support you at any time," says Vasilisa.

Vasilisa's dream is to perform in concerts and musicals. She will get the opportunity to sing for the first time at this center's winter concert.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine Crisis Response in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia, more than 253,035 children have benefitted from educational programming, and more than 84,032 children have been supported with child protection programming.  

On the cover: Miroslava, 11 (left), and Anghelina, 9 (right), exhibit the Christmas stockings they decorated themselves, coming daily to the World Vision-supported child-friendly space.

Story and photos by Dan Munteanu, Communications Officer