Simple joys in life inspire Oksana and her son to keep going after fleeing Ukraine

In Ukraine and neighbouring countries such as Moldova, mothers and children seeking refuge from Russia's invasion are in desperate need of safety and support.

It was 6am when Oksana (pictured above, left) woke to the sound of loud blasts outside her home in Ukraine. It was 24 February 2022, the day Russia launched its first airstrikes across the country. Oksana's city was one of the first to come under attack.

Oksana's husband was working overseas, so it was just Oksana and their four-year-old son at home. They were terrified. Oksana gathered her son and a few important belongings, and left for a friend's house later that morning.

While Oksana and her friends tried to decide what to do, their children played in the garden. Explosions started across the city again and they rushed the children inside and down to the basement.

Their homes and their city were being destroyed; there was no choice but to leave. Oksana, her son, mother, and a few friends, joined the thousands of Ukrainians fleeing to neighbouring Moldova, about 200kms away, two days later. Most men aged between 18 to 60 in Ukraine have been banned from leaving the country, and Oksana left behind her father.

Moldova, a tiny country landlocked between Ukraine and Romania, is among the top five poorest nations in Europe. As of May 2023, it has welcomed more than 700,000 Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children. Many people in Moldova speak Russian and share cultural similarities to Ukraine, but for Oksana and her family it's not where they want to live permanently.

Moldova, says Oksana, is very peaceful but it doesn't feel like home.

When they arrived in Moldova, Oksana needed to find work to pay the rent and wanted her son to experience a sense of normality again, and be able to learn and play with other children.

She had a difficult time finding an affordable kindergarten for her son though. Eventually, she found one that was taught in a three-bedroom apartment. The classes were all taught in Moldovan, however, which her son did not understand.

With all the costs of resettling into a new country, the urgency to find a job became greater and greater. In her search for financial and resettlement assistance for Ukrainian refugees, Oksana found a support centre set up by ChildFund Alliance member, WeWorld. Here, volunteers and staff were providing Ukrainian families with food parcels and other essential resources, and opportunities to learn the Moldovan language. Children could also take part in recreational activities.

When Oksana arrived at the WeWorld support centre, her son started playing with the other Ukrainian children there. He didn’t want to leave.

Seeing his joy was uplifting, says Oksana. Things felt normal for once. Watching her son have fun, socialise, and play with children again inspired and motivated her to open up with the people at the centre.

Oksana began talking with other mothers and staff from WeWorld. She met WeWorld’s Country Representative in Moldova and the Head of International Programs. It wasn't long before Oksana was accepting a job offer as WeWorld’s Administration and Communications Officer.

“The people that have arrived here need help, they have no strength left," Oksana says. "If I hadn’t met WeWorld’s staff I wouldn’t be working here and this job is what gives me the mental strength to keep on going.

"Understanding that we are not alone in our pain, that other people understand our sorrow and support us, it's a huge help and it gives us hope for tomorrow, even if we don't know what it will hold for us."

Today, Oksana lives with her husband and son in Moldova, and continues to support Ukrainian refugees arriving at WeWorld's support centre.

ChildFund Alliance member, WeWorld, has supported more than 24,000 people in Moldova with urgent aid and language support since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The need for aid continues to grow as the conflict continues .

Right now, the lives of thousands of mothers and their children are threatened by conflict. Your donation can help them survive, and begin to recover.

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