The war brought them together 

Valentina (68) and Oksana (50) had never met before the war forced them to leave everything they knew and loved. From their respective cities, Odessa and Mariupol, they fled with their daughters – hoping for safety, but without a clear path forward. Now they share a small room in Moldova, far from the home they miss, but grateful for the safety Caritas has given them.

Before fleeing the war, Oksana (50) worked as a tailor from home in Odessa. Now the apartment has been replaced with a one-room apartment that she shares with her teenage daughter and a mother and daughter from Mariupol.  

This spring it will be three years since she and Sofia (13) left the port city on the Black Sea. The sewing machine, which she completely depends on to be able to work, also remained behind. 

“Now my eyesight has become so bad that I wouldn't be able to use it anyway. I need new lenses,” Oksana says with a hint of irony. 

In Moldova, they first reached a village. But for Oksana, who is in a wheelchair after an injury, it was impossible to get around in the rough terrain.  

– I was advised Caritas , who sent one of their mobile teams to pick us up. They brought us here. I'm glad about that, she says. 

In addition to staying for free at one of Caritas -centered in ten family rooms in the capital Chisinau, they receive food, health care, and access to a number of other services and activities. At the online school, which is financed with Norwegian funds via Caritas Norway, Sofia can follow the lessons digitally with her Ukrainian teachers and fellow students.  

– We have a great time here, but I miss everyday life in Odessa and my friends. From living in a spacious apartment, we now only have a closet to store our things. I want to go back, says Oksana.  

Hastily fled from Russian siege 

So will former construction worker Valentina (68) from Mariupol. The city of Donetsk was strategically important to the Russians and was attacked at the same time as the full-scale invasion began. For three months, the residents were confined, and had to bury their dead along the roadside. After the Russians gained control of the city in May 2022, she and her daughter fled. Over 8,000 people were killed in a few months. 

"There were dead people lying in the streets and we were terrified. It was terrible. We didn't have time to bring any money, and I lost my mobile phone and luggage along the way," she says, bursting into tears.   

On a bus they met someone who gave them money. Eventually they arrived at a reception center for refugees who turned out to belong to Caritas .   

– We were exhausted, both physically and mentally. There we got a shower, hot food and a place to sleep. 

The plan was to travel on to Israel, where both his brother and son currently live. But new entry regulations put a stop to that.  

– Moldova was the closest country to get to, so we traveled here. Here we get what we need, even a new cell phone and follow-up with a psychologist. We are very grateful for that. My daughter and I even earn a little by cleaning and tidying up the cafeteria. We save the money for the trip home. We have now been here for almost three years. We want to go home, says Valentina hopefully.  

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