United Planet Founder & President, Dave Santulli, just returned from a visit to Moldova to set up a program with a local partner to help with the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Below is his post about his personal experience and the program. Learn more about how to help with volunteering in Moldova to help Ukrainian refugees.
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It was a humbling experience to travel to Moldova with my son, Troy, to set up a program along with our long-term Moldovan partner to support Ukrainian refugees.
Help Ukrainian Refugees in Moldova!
During our time, we visited many diverse organizations and spoke with experienced Molovan NGOs as well as international agencies and organizations. In face of momentous challenges, the spirit of the Ukrainian refugees and perseverance of Moldovans and members of the international community alike to support them instilled an awe-inspiring sense of hope and community.
Ukrainian refugees, numbering more than 20% of the population of Moldova, have entered its borders since February, 2022.
An elderly Moldovan woman gives up a room in her two bedroom apartment to accommodate a family of three seeking shelter.
A small Moldovan NGO with a staff of six, including a general practitioner, psychologist, social worker, and support team goes from only 5 to 10 beneficiaries per day to more than 70.
Another NGO which has worked with asylum seekers and refugees for more than 20 years (originally founded by an Afghan refugee) makes a strategic switch from handing out food to providing vouchers so that refugees can choose their own food at a local supermarket.
Outside of the capital of Chișinău, small town mayors struggle to meet the mounting needs.
Temporary shelters, both government and NGO run, provide housing, meals, and support services from a few days to a few weeks depending on the cases. It is a short time to figure out the next steps, but it is an essential leg upon the journey, especially with nowhere to return.
One local leader captures it best, “It is like drinking from a firehouse. We are just doing our best to support where we can…”
Refugees come from all walks of life. Some drive Tesla SUVs and stay in local hotels. So many others walk across the border without their own transport.
Shelters and relief workers, including many volunteers, struggle to meet the diverse needs and personalities of the refugees. With nowhere to turn, most are incredibly grateful for the support which they receive.
Distribution centers are filled with mounds of boxes. Volunteers work on sorting and recording these disheveled mountains of donations into orderly rows and shelves filled with soap, hygienic products, food stuffs, clothing, and much more.
While all these organizations are incredibly grateful for the donations and supplies, they stress their need for human resources in the form of workers and volunteers.
Some organizations require Russian or Ukrainian speakers. Others have multilingual teams mobilizing across diverse fronts. Coordinating groups attempt to track all these disparate efforts, but there is simply too much happening to fully grasp the entire response landscape.
At the same time, everyone fully recognizes that the true challenges are on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. It is like drinking from a firehouse and the only choice is to keep on drinking until the pressure slowly subsides.
Whether you provide support by traveling to Moldova to volunteer with United Planet or join as a virtual volunteer or intern, you can make an important difference to boost the capacity of these frontline organizations.
To learn more about United Planet’s refugee response efforts, please visit https://www.unitedplanet.org/volunteer-for-ukrainian-refugees-in-moldova
Below are some personal photos taken during our visit.
David Santulli
President & Founder
United Planet
United Planet Founder & President, Dave Santulli, developing programs to support refugees at a local Moldovan NGO.
United Planet Founder & President, Dave Santulli, discussing needs at refugee support agency in Moldova.
United Planet Founder & President, Dave Santulli, meeting with the Peace Corps in Moldova.
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