Republic of Moldova – “Before the war, Eva was a happy, carefree little girl, a first-grader full of joy who loved going to school, practicing taekwondo and drawing,” Olga recalls. Determined for her six-year-old daughter to have a joyful, stable childhood, Olga did all she could to help Eva thrive.
That all changed when Russian forces entered their hometown of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine. As the war escalated in early 2022, deafening explosions became the soundtrack to their lives and soon after, little Eva developed a stutter from living in constant fear. It was then that Olga realized it was time to leave home in search of safety.
Accompanied by her elderly mother, together they packed up what they could and drove across Ukraine, stopping in Moldova.
“I didn’t think of Moldova as a final destination, I just drove in one direction, as fast as possible, to leave the bombs behind,” Olga explains. “I never imagined that my very old car could travel so many kilometers,” she adds with a smile.
Exhausted from the long drive, they decided to stop in Donduseni, a city of over 7,000 people in northern Moldova, close to the Ukrainian border. The first days there were difficult, but the local government and people from the community quickly stepped up to offer support. Olga fondly recalls that “there were always Moldovans ready to give us their last piece of bread.”
Adding to her relief, Olga found a job at a Refugee Accommodation Centre, enabling her to earn an income to provide for her family. She then turned her attention to helping her daughter, Eva, integrate into the community and meet other children facing a similar situation. Olga heard about the activities taking place at the Ion Druta municipal library, a sanctuary for children that often hosts events to provide comfort to the young arrivals. The next day, they both went to check it out, and from that moment on the library became an integral part of their lives.