Food vouchers provide freedom of choice to Ukrainian refugees and host families in Moldova

“Food vouchers provide individuals with food security and assurance. They give Ukrainian refugees the dignity to choose what they want for themselves and their families,” shares Cristina Stratan, project coordinator at HelpAge, World Vision’s local partner in Moldova, during a food voucher distribution.

The distribution, sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and World Vision New Zealand (WVNZ), took place in Criuleni, a city in central Moldova, and drew about 30 individuals, including Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan host communities.

The ongoing project, funded by MFAT and implemented by World Vision’s local partner, HelpAge, strives to guarantee that at-risk refugees and highly vulnerable local households in Moldova meet their basic needs without resorting to harmful coping mechanisms.

It also aims to guarantee that affected people have access to Protection and Psychosocial Services (PSS) in a safe environment.

We were lucky to arrive in time in Moldova. Otherwise, we would not have survived.

“We aim for food voucher distribution because people have different needs,” says Cristina Stratan.

She adds, “It doesn’t matter if there are elderly people or people with special medical conditions like diabetes, or if they have small children who need special nutrition, they can always choose some products instead of others.”

As in the case of Lidiya and her son Sviatoslav, who miraculously escaped from Odesa during the first days of the bombing that decreed the beginning of the war in Ukraine: “We are from Odesa, and on February 23rd, we were with my husband in Mariupol.”

“We were lucky to arrive in time in Moldova. Otherwise, we would not have survived,” Lidiya goes on.

Food vouchers are crucial because they allow Lidiya and her son to acquire basic needs without limitation or compulsion, just within their means. It assists them in overcoming the challenges posed by rising food prices in Moldova.

The vouchers are also necessary for some refugees who don’t know the local language and haven’t found a job, such as Valentina, who escaped with her daughter from Odesa in December 2022.

“In Ukraine, we were in good and evil, but when it became difficult, we just left because they started to turn off the light. It was cold. So, I took my child and left,” Valentina says.

“These vouchers are vital for us. They help a lot since it is tough now to get a job because many people require the knowledge of the host language, and in this regard, we are very grateful since it is challenging to afford food today”, she concludes.

According to the latest Food Security Update by the World Bank Response, today we are experiencing food price increase that exceeds overall inflation in 78% of countries out of 163 analysed.

One of the significant sources of risk for global price stability is Trade Policies. Trade Policies are actions on food and fertiliser, for example, that have surged since the beginning of the War in Ukraine.

Usually, countries also use trade policies to respond to domestic needs when faced with potential food shortages, for example, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most affected countries, in these cases, are mostly lower and middle-income countries, and Moldova is on this list.

The project, funded by MFAT and WVNZ aims to decrease human suffering by helping refugees and local households with basic needs.

This initiative targets to help more than 3000 people in Moldova, and is being implemented by HelpAge, an NGO dedicated to ensuring all older people lead dignified, healthy, and secure lives.

To date, World Vision has served over 208,000 individuals in Moldova, including Ukrainian refugees and hosting communities, by meeting basic needs and providing education, protection, mental health, and cash and voucher programs.

Story by Dan Munteanu, Communications Officer I Photos by Laurentia Jora, Communications Coordinator