Volunteer stories.
Ukrainian Oxana Hâncul: my volunteer work made me visible for UN Women Moldova.
"My name is Oxana Hâncu, I am 41 years old, I am from Ukraine, and I have been volunteering in the Republic of Moldova for more than a year and for half a year, with papers in order". This is how Oxana's story begins: a Ukrainian woman from Odessa who, two years ago, was looking after her family and her job, but once she became a refugee in the Republic of Moldova because of the war, she had to turn the page of her life and start writing a new chapter.
The war brought us a lot of fear about tomorrow
"In Odessa, I worked as a programmer. Before I went on maternity and childcare leave, I worked in a bank in the IT department, a job I found myself in for 12 years.
When the war started and we woke up because of the explosions, our first thought was that we were having a nightmare. But with the following explosions, we found ourselves in a reality where no one would want to live. That's when the fear set in. For the family, for the children, for the husband...
The first two weeks we hid in the basement of our parents' house outside the city: 22 elderly people and two families with children. The others? The others managed to leave.
We made our living conditions, bought food, drinking water, fire extinguishers, medicines and candles. We adjusted sleeping places, toilets. We spent several nights in the basement of the cellar. Besides the fact that it was very cold and there was always a risk that the little ones would get sick, we were afraid for tomorrow...
In the meantime, public transport started to stop running—in fact, we had no transport at all. Except for the bread truck. When the war came very close to us, I understood that if I wanted to save my children, we had to run. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and her family were living in Herson, an occupied zone. We didn't want to follow their fate.
Moldova. Full stop and start a new line.
On March 7, we set off for Moldova. In Cahul, we were greeted by my father's relatives. We stopped here. I was afraid on the one hand, and I kept hoping on the other that after two or three weeks we would return home. Home to my husband, mother, and sister, who had not left the country.
After two months, I left my relatives. But I did not return home as we wanted, but to a temporary accommodation center. We are grateful to the people who welcomed us into their home and shared their piece of bread with us, and not just bread, but we decided to rely on our own strength and also on the support provided by international organizations. And yes, we continue to this day to visit our relatives, who have meanwhile become family in the true sense of the word.
We changed three temporary accommodation centers for refugees in one year
During the year, my children and I lived in three centers. As some closed, we were moved to others. In the meantime, I applied to a program that helps us with rent and paying bills. I now rent an apartment where I live with my children, and a few months ago I got a job.
All the help we have received throughout this period has come from NGOs, international organizations, local communities, church representatives, and volunteers. We are very grateful to them all for their support. Along the way, which has not been an easy journey, we have met a lot of wonderful, honest, kind, and helpful people.
As for my work, when I was living with relatives, I was not at all informed about where and what kind of assistance I could receive, where and when refugee events take place, etc. All this, however, came when I moved to one of the temporary accommodation centers. It was only then that I started actively interacting with various NGOs and representatives of local public authorities, as well as international organizations, and participating in various events organized for refugees in Ukraine.
I found myself in the voluntary work
So, I started to get involved in informing people about upcoming events, helping organizations distribute humanitarian aid, drawing up lists of beneficiaries, etc. I still do this work today: I continue to inform the organization's representatives about the needs of refugees and about upcoming events and trainings. We hold discussions on combating gender-based violence during meetings with psychologists. We also talk about security, types of violence against refugees, and vulnerable groups.
In this process of volunteering, I became visible, i.e., I was invited to join UN Women Moldova, a United Nations (UN) structure dedicated to promoting gender equality and women's rights around the world that addresses issues related to gender equality, including violence against women, discrimination in the workplace, access to education and health for women and girls, and women's involvement in decision-making processes. I passed a selection, signed a contract, and today I am part of this big and wonderful family. By the way, if anyone finds themselves in my story and would like to get involved at the local level, there are many organizations across Moldova that are still looking for volunteers.
In addition to my work with UN Women, I continue to help volunteers from other organizations involved in the integration process of Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. Among my activities as a volunteer described above, there is also the task of meeting the needs of refugees in Ukraine who are in crisis situations. I register humanitarian aid, distribute up-to-date information, and help people in search of things specific to their needs, such as medicines, etc. At the moment, refugees receive more informational and psychological help than material, but even this support is extremely useful for the citizens of my country.
At the moment, there are quite a lot of Ukrainian refugees settled in southern Moldova. And the number is growing. But because many temporary accommodation centers are closed, they are being sent, according to information from the hotline, to those cities where centers are still operating. If new arrivals stay in the city, they are registered at the information center. In addition, they are told where and what they can get, where they still need to register, and are offered legal and psychological counseling. So far, there are more than 250 Ukrainian families in the south of Moldova who continue to need clothes, medicines, personal care products, etc.
Projects. Activity. Future plans
The fact that I have become so well known locally has also allowed me to get involved in various humanitarian projects. For example, at the end of August, I received a proposal to get involved in a local project to help Ukrainian children. It was about socially vulnerable families. Because the budget was tight, I carefully chose the 22 beneficiaries who went to school in new shoes. I am grateful for the emotions and tears of joy I saw on the faces of the mothers and children.
However, I notice a kind of chronic fatigue among people. Many people close in on themselves, become depressed, stop leading an active pre-war lifestyle, refuse to accept the reality they have found themselves in, stop hoping for something, stop looking for a job, and integrate into the Republic of Moldova. Watching them, you understand what support they would need most, and you get involved so as not to let them lose themselves for good.
It's good to see that more and more courses and studies have appeared that offer everyone the opportunity to develop, integrate, and even open their own businesses. And we, as volunteers, are here to guide them properly. When certain things go beyond our remit, we get involved in identifying the people who are responsible and competent in them. One such organization is AO HELP, with its brilliant girls. For me, this NGO is a well-established information channel that helps women in Ukraine integrate, find out their rights and possibilities, and get support even with the most complicated questions.
Today, I can only thank fate for being the right man in the right place. Thank you for the experience I am gaining day by day and for continuing to be useful to people.
As for my future plans, in our situation, you can only think about what you will do in two days at the most. One thing's for sure: I will continue to help people, and when I have some certainty about the future of my country, I will return home.
