Help keep the Ukrainian refugee center safe.

Hello,

This is Nuri Park from Peace Winds Korea, and I would like to share some news with you. From April 1st to 3rd, we visited the Ukrainian Refugee Center located in Kishinev, Moldova.

The center used to be a movie theater but has been repurposed into a warehouse, restaurant, and living quarters for about 75-80 Ukrainians, mainly families. The facilities are old and sometimes leak, but the residents have decorated their rooms with plants and dolls.

They do not suffer from severe shortages of basic necessities such as food and supplies due to their relatively small number, but they have expressed a desire to stock up on as much as possible to prepare for the uncertainty of how long their situation will last.

Children are left at the refugee center when adults leave for work, and there are not many activities for them, nor are there any adults to take responsibility for their education. Many parents worry about their children's education, but fortunately, managers occasionally bring games to play with the children.

Ukrainian refugees face the challenge of integrating into Moldovan society, which could be difficult due to language and cultural differences. The need for Romanian language skills could pose a high barrier for refugees. Peace Winds Korea plans to support refugees in receiving education, finding jobs, and participating in social activities to help them integrate into Moldovan society.

The most difficult challenge for the refugee center at the moment is a lack of personnel. The workload of the employed personnel is high due to the insufficient number of personnel, and their relatively low wages make it difficult to hire social workers. There is also a shortage of funding to hire new personnel, so refugees are doing all the cleaning and security work themselves.

Despite the challenges, most refugees hope to return to Ukraine, although it seems unlikely that the war will end soon and their lives will return to normal. Nevertheless, they live each day with hope, building solidarity and encouraging each other, and preparing for the coming spring.

Thank you for reading.

Best regards,

Nuri Park.