The conflict in Ukraine had forced Olga and her children into a world they didn’t recognise. Within days of fleeing, they had gone from the stability of their home to spending the night on the floor of a petrol station in northern Moldova.
Having secured a flat to give her nine-year-old daughter and three-year-old son a safe and warm place to sleep, they were turned away upon arrival by a landlord who had found another family who were prepared to pay a higher price.
In that moment, the normal life Olga had spent years building felt entirely erased.
‘I was some sort of little mouse in a big world,’ she says. ‘I have two small children, I have no work… I didn’t even know how to pay rent.’
A sudden loss of belonging
In Moldova, the initial relief of escaping the sirens was quickly replaced by the heavy weight of losing everything they knew. For mothers like Olga, displacement isn’t just about the lack of address, but also the sudden loss of familiarity, belonging, possessions, and routine that define who they are.
‘People fled: women, children, elderly – even with their pets,’ says Anna, who works with Tearfund’s partner in Moldova. ‘We met refugees at the border and answered hotline calls. The phone became a source of fear. Every ring made us wonder if we could help.’
Olga lived in a state of panic, unsure if she should stay in Moldova or move further into Europe. ‘At the time, I was confused. I didn’t know what to do, because I was alone,’ she explains. Eventually she made the decision to move to central Moldova, thinking she would only be there for a few months.
Restoring the human spirit
Olga heard about a centre run by Tearfund’s partner in November 2022. Thanks to Tearfund supporters, it was still operating, and had been able to keep the hotline running and take on more staff to support the ever-increasing number of refugees.
Initially, Olga was apprehensive about asking for help. ‘It was very hard for me to open my heart… We were afraid of everything, of every piece of information.’ However, as the centre began to support her children with clothes, food and therapy, Olga began to feel more open.
‘My heart began to beat faster and faster, and I started to believe that these people could help.’
Tearfund’s partner is able to focus on more than just the immediate needs of families like Olga’s. They prioritise long-term psychological wellbeing, helping families process trauma through art and in group sessions. For Olga, the impact was profound. ‘I started to come here for… the source for my soul,’ she recalls.
