Meet Raisa Sacaliuc, a refugee mother from Ukraine who has found solace and purpose in her new life as an educator at a Play and Learning Hub in Chisinau. At 36 years old, Raisa reflects on the profound transformation the war has brought upon her, instilling a newfound appreciation for life and a commitment to embracing every moment. "The war changed me. Only now have I learned to truly appreciate life and to live intensely every moment". Raisa arrived to Moldova with her 14-year-old son, Nicolae, a few days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. Everything changed abruptly on the morning of February 24, 2022, when the sound of sirens replaced her usual alarm clock. While there were rumors of an impending invasion, Raisa initially brushed them off, choosing to remain hopeful. However, as the war unfolded, the cold nights in bomb shelters, the fear, and the cacophony of heavy bombings gradually wore her down, pushing her towards the decision to leave her homeland. "There were rumors about a potential invasion, but I didn't really pay attention to the news, even though I had my suitcases packed with essentials,” remembers Raisa. The final push came in the form of a phone call from her relatives in the Republic of Moldova, assuring her that she and her son would be warmly welcomed into their family. With suitcases packed and determination in their hearts, Raisa and her son embarked on a journey that would leave behind loved ones, friends, cherished memories, and shattered dreams. Guided by the kindness of strangers, they navigated trains until they reached the Otaci border customs point, where their arduous journey found solace. "When I crossed the border, my life started to take on color again. I thank UNICEF and other organizations, volunteers, who welcomed me with warm tea and food, a place to sleep and encouragement", says Raisa. It was through her relatives in Ialoveni that she discovered the existence of Play and Learning Hubs for refugee children from Ukraine. Without hesitation, Raisa pursued an opportunity to join the staff, eager to contribute her skills and experiences to the center.  Cezara Cornienco, the director of the "Green Gate" Play and Learning Hub, vividly recalls Raisa's arrival and her unwavering determination to make a difference. Despite no immediate openings at the center, Raisa's impressive credentials, including her teaching degree and ten years of experience, convinced the team that she was a valuable addition. This decision has proven fruitful, as both the work team and the children's parents now wholeheartedly appreciate Raisa's contributions. "It was one of the best decisions ever made,” sustains Mrs. Cornienco. Gradually, Raisa and her son began reconstructing their lives in Moldova. Her son enrolled in a school in Chisinau and spent time at the "Green Gate" center, where Raisa's colleague volunteered to teach him guitar chords. Additionally, Raisa received much-needed psychotherapeutic support, equipping her and her son with effective emotional management tools. "Nicolae matured way too early, but I'm very proud of the man he's turning into. A backpack full of responsibilities has been placed on his shoulders, which he carries with dignity," says Raisa. The Play and Learning Hub provides a sanctuary where children can dance, play sports, engage in creative activities, and alleviate the burdensome stress they have experienced. Raisa actively facilitates their integration into this new environment, avoiding discussions about the war unless initiated by the children themselves, assuring them of her willingness to listen. “I try to explain to both children and parents that there are no good or bad emotions. We need all kinds of feelings in our lives, and we also learn to deal with them", she explains. 34 Ukrainian children are attending the "Green Gate" center daily and another 20 occasionally. The children have grown accustomed to their new routine and place of residence. Maria, a 7-year-old, enjoys drawing at the center and cherishes weekend walks with her mother through the beautiful streets of Chisinau. "I like to come to the center and draw. During the weekends, I walk with my mother on the streets of Chisinau, which are very beautiful. However, I miss the friends I left behind in Kiev", 7-year-old Maria tells us. "The food from Moldova is absolutely delicious. I have made wonderful new friends here, and I enjoy playing with them so much. I really wish I could bring my cat from Odessa to Chisinau," shares 6-year-old Sofia, expressing her affection for her newfound home. Ever since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Moldova has extended its embrace to hundreds of thousands of refugees, providing them with a second home. Raisa Sacaliuc, deeply touched by the warmth and generosity of the Moldovan people, has found comfort and a sense of belonging in the country. She takes pleasure in exploring the picturesque places, immersing herself in the beauty of nature, architecture, and savoring the delightful local cuisine. Raisa has relinquished long-term plans, focusing instead on inspiring and motivating others who are still enduring similar hardships. "A year ago, sleep eluded me, but now I'm grateful to have overcome those restless nights. Along the way, I have learned to love and care for myself more. When faced with a crisis, one must reflect on whether it can be changed. If the answer is no, then we must let things unfold as they will. I want to remind everyone that the most valuable possession we have is our life. Money can always be earned again, but time lost is irretrievable. So, let us cherish only the things that truly matter," shares Raisa. Through a collaboration between UNICEF Moldova and the National Center for Early Education and Family Information at the local level, 15 Play and Learning Hubs have been established to support refugee children from Ukraine. Equipped with educational materials and engaging toys, these centers provide an interactive and safe environment for children to play and learn. To date, 4,784 Ukrainian refugee children have benefited from non-formal education and received learning supplies at these hubs, while an additional 2,908 have received vital mental health services and psychosocial support.

Children from Ukraine who seek safety in Moldova need new friends and more opportunities to overcome the significant changes in their lives and feel safe. Since the onset of the conflict, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Republic of Moldova and its partners have been working to improve the child protection system and integration of refugee families into Moldovan communities by developing essential services such as education, health, and protection. The mobile Blue Dot is one of the initiatives designed to achieve this objective.   For almost six months, a team of specialists in child protection, psychology and education has been visiting the villages in the Stefan Voda district to organize educational and counselling activities for Moldovan and Ukrainian children. Diana is one of the psychologists who help these children to communicate more effectively, express their feelings, and overcome specific cultural or linguistic barriers.  To fully understand the importance of these activities, it is enough to see the enthusiasm of the beneficiaries. In the town hall of the Talmaza village, children and parents eagerly await another session of activities organized by Diana and her colleagues. "In Talmaza, we work with two groups and have organized six weekly sessions. We have prepared a specialized programme that includes various case studies, discussions, social games, and activities to develop memory, logic, and motor skills. We have already observed encouraging results. Children have made new friends. Moreover, we are proud of the positive feedback from parents, who express their gratitude and ask for a new visit," says Diana as she prepares to begin the activities with the children. Today, children have the mission to create artwork inspired by the Pascale holidays. Adelina, 13, from Mykolaiv, Ukraine, is a faithful participant in the activities organized by the Blue Dot mobile team. For almost a year, Adelina and her family have found safety in Moldova. She is trying to take advantage of every opportunity to develop new skills and make new friends. "I love such interactive activities, to do something interesting and beautiful with other children. We always communicate and participate in various games," says Adelina.   Children in Moldova also need communication and new friends. For instance, 13-year-old Vasilisa from Talmaza enjoys interacting with other children and young people. "I liked it from the first day. I have met new people and learned about new languages, which are interesting. I have also made two new friends. Moreover, thanks to the activities here, I am learning to create various things," says Vasilisa. On the other hand, for ten-year-old Ariana from Ukraine, these activities mean freedom, joy, and peace. "Here, nothing stands in our way. We have the freedom to play and enjoy,” she says. 

The folk craftsman teamed up with Irina Agafița, a marketing specialist. That's how PINO toys were born. With the support of the European Union and UNDP, provided under the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, the entrepreneurs purchased modern equipment. “Coming from a family of woodworkers, as my great-great-grandparents were woodworkers, at first, I played with some cubes, then I started making doors, stairs, tables, like any woodworker. When my first child came along, my father said: ‘Let's go into the workshop and make him some toys’. I have since then changed direction and now we produce exclusively wooden toys in this workshop,” Maxim Alexei recalls of his journey into the world of toys.  A car, a dozer and a crane – these were the first toys Maxim created, with which he relaunched his woodworking business. Since then, he has made hundreds of models, turning log woods into toys. He's been doing this every day for more than 12 years. “I don't make any drawings or sketches. I imagine what I want a toy to be like and then I take a piece of wood and transform it. If I like the result, then I continue, if not, then I put it on the shelf and leave it there. I can make several hundred toys a day, sometimes I make a toy in two days. It all depends on the model and how complex it is,” says Maxim Alexei.  A friendship turned into a business partnership For many years, Maxim crafted toys and displayed them at fairs where he was invited as a folk craftsman. He didn't have a brand or a proper business until he met Irina Agafița. “I met Maxim when he was selling his toys in the street. Even then I had the idea of making wooden toys. Then, as now, I was in charge of organising folk craftspeople who wanted to participate in events, festivals. That's how I met him and over time we became friends.” Irina and Maxim's collaboration, but not their friendship, came to a standstill when the pandemic hit, as Maxim had only sold his toys at events until then. The uncertainty made Maxim seriously consider settling in another country because he was unable to support his family. Irina then proposed to Maxim to launch an online shop where his toys could be displayed and sold. That's how the PINO toy brand was born.  “I find Maxim very talented. For me, his talent is something special. When he told me he wanted to leave, I was like: ‘No, no, no. You're so talented, you can't just leave.’ That's when I suggested we sell online, as I have a degree in management and marketing. He was very sceptical at first but accepted. I created the visual identity, and he was making the toys. I told Maxim that it would be a good idea to expand the range of toys, but he said that he didn't have the right machinery, so we thought we had to do something about it,” says Irina Agafița, the administrator of the business and the online shop.  From scepticism to the excitement of a new beginning Excited about the new beginning, Irina Agafița started looking for solutions. That's how she participated in spring 2022 in the grant competition launched by the EU Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP. The application was successful, and Irina and Maxim were awarded a grant of €15,000, with which they bought the equipment needed to manufacture wooden toys.  “Maxim was sceptical, he thought only others could get funding, not him. He was very happy when we got the first grant, then another. He understood that it's possible and, more importantly, how much easier it is to work with the new equipment. That's how we've increased productivity: now he manages to make a lot more toys and, most importantly, he works safely,” says Irina.  A CNC router and a wood planer were purchased from the grant. “‘Before we had a very unsafe equipment. I was nervous to work on that equipment. Now everything is safer, more efficient, the wood comes out cleaner, it doesn't splinter as much, meaning that we now have a good and efficient equipment,” says Maxim.  The wooden toys from PINO are an example of sustainability Maxim Alexei has always opted for a sustainable way of producing toys. The wood used in the production of the toys is bought from local people in and around Molovata Nouă. Maxim most often uses wood from fruit trees to give the toys a special texture. It's also a way to reuse natural resources.  “People who want to get rid of a tree call us and we then go and cut it down for them or take the log. We make it into planks, we dry them, and then we make toys. Walnut, cherry, mulberry, pear – practically any type of wood growing in the area is suitable for our toys,” says Maxim.  Although he buys wood from locals, because of the war in Ukraine, the price of timber has increased.  At the same time, Maxim stopped producing tank toys, although until then, it was one of the most popular and best-selling models. “When the war started, I simply couldn't bring myself to make this model anymore. I gave up, even though it's just a toy. I gave up, even though wooden tanks sold better than cars or planes.” Maxim, folk craftsman Apprenticeship out of fashion?! Maxim doesn't have enough time to both make toys and participate in fairs. The folk craftsman is keen to expand his business and employ more people in the workshop. Having learned the woodworking trade from his father, Maxim now has no one to pass on his skills to, as his children are too young. The village youth, Maxim notes, are no longer interested in apprenticeship.  “Unfortunately, it's a bit hard now. We can't offer young people as high salaries as they would like, plus many are leaving the country. We hire women, seniors, people with no previous experience. Some work tasks only involve sanding or joining parts.” “We are really in demand. Very often, we sell everything we have,” says Maxim. The woodworker also organises creative sessions for children, who get to make the toy they want: “They then go home twice as happy because they have made their own toy and gained an insight into the process of making it.” Maxim would like to have a larger workshop to host events and have more visitors of all ages. Another idea for the future is to arrange a “fairy tale” space for children from both sides of the Nistru river.  “On the bank of the Nistru river, Maxim has a plot of land surrounded by pine trees and we are thinking of building a workshop with an open area where both children and parents can reconnect by playing in nature. It's a grand project that we dream of,” says Irina. 

Alexander Godin moves through a number of locked doors escorted by a guard to prison 16’s pharmacy. This is part of his daily routine. He comes to get his medicine – a syrup-like dose of methadone. Methadone is an opioid agonist therapy (OAT) to help people overcome withdrawal symptoms, decrease heroin dependence and prevent HIV infection from infected needles. “I have been on methadone substitution treatment for 10 years,” said Mr Godin. His family urged him to take advantage of such services so he could get healthy again. “For years I used drugs and opioids and for this, money was needed so problems began among my family,” he said.  Since he has been on the programme, he feels much better. Any new prisoner to the country’s 17 penitentiaries sees a psychiatrist, a doctor and if needed is offered to join a treatment programme. Comprehensive harm reduction services not only include drug dependence treatment but also needle syringe exchange and HIV testing and treatment. HIV prevalence is 11% among people who inject drugs in Moldova vs 0.36% among the general population. They are one of the most affected groups in the country.  For Maria Potrîmba Head of Infectious Diseases at prison 16 (Pruncul) helping prisoners stave off drugs has positive knock-on effects. “If a patient is on this substitution treatment the person is more aware of consequences and will more likely adhere to their other treatment,” she said. The prisons also make sure to provide clean syringes with a regular pick-up every two days carried out by volunteer prisoners. The head of medical unit at prison 13 (Chisinau) believes harm reduction services are important for both inmates and prison employees. “The volunteers are all prisoners and the vast majority of them are also people who have been treated for communicable diseases like HIV or hepatitis or tuberculosis,” Oleg Costru said. Moldova has committed more resources to the prison programme over the years. “In the beginning, when these services were developed, they were actually financed from external sources,” said Irina Barbîroș, head of the medical department at the national prison administration. “Over the years, the state assumed its commitment and took over the financing of these services from the state budget.” UNAIDS, UNODC and WHO have been long-time supporters of expanding these services to all prisons. Currently, according to Harm Reduction International, only 59 countries globally provide OAT in prisons. This, even though harm reduction has been proven to not increase the number of people with drug dependency but rather provide personal and public health benefits. Svetlana Plamadeala, UNAIDS Moldova country director, has seen the pilot projects gain traction in the country and is quite proud of the success of the nationwide coverage. “It is really about putting people in front and people at center as well as taking on a solid public health approach,” she said. For her, to end AIDS, protecting the health and human rights of people who use drugs is key. “It is about equalizing.”