Moldovan PM visits 85-year-old woman volunteer who hosts family of refugees from Ukraine

Chisinau, 15 March /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita today visited an 85-year-old woman volunteer, who hosts a family which took refuge from Ukraine, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.    

The former teacher of French language, Maria Smesnaia, 85, is one of the volunteers who for several days has hosted a family of refugees from Ukraine: a seven-year-old girl, along with her mother and grandmother. PM Natalia Gavrilita today visited the family, in order to thank the host for involvement and support she provides.      

The women came to the home of Maria Smesnaia at nidnight, after covering a road from the Mykolaiv region, Ochakiv, a military city from Ukraine, up to the border with Moldova. The host family took care to provide the refugees with everything they need.   

„When I learned that people refugees from Ukraine  started coming, I immediately ruled to get involved and provide accommodation to a family, in my home. I felt that I could help in this way as well, even a little, to the huge effort Moldova is to make on this difficult period,’’ Maria Smesnaia said.     

The daughter of the teacher, Nadejda Mocanu, hosts in her home another three refugees, relatives to the ones from the home of her mother, another two women of 50 and 85 years of age, respectively and 90-year-old man. She believes that it is only natural that Moldova’s citizens get involved and help the Ukrainians who flee the war.     

The family Sadovaia, the people hosted by Maria Smesnaia, arrived in Chisinau for the first time ever. They say that they were perplexed by the hospitability and openness of Moldova’s citizens. Svetlana Sadovaia says that, although she feels safe in Moldova and they were received with much warmth here, they want to return home as soon as possible. Till then, Svetlana is ready to find a job and her 7-year-old daughter Alexandra – to go to school.    

Natalia Gavrilita said that, due a decision approved by the Commission for Emergency Situations, the children from the Ukrainian refugees’ families can attend education institutions from Moldova. To this end, the Education and Research Ministry will work out and approve a mechanism of involvement of children from refugees’ families in schools and kindergartens.    

„The gesture you have proved by providing shelter to this family is incredible. Just as you, other families of Moldovans got involved to help, each one according to possibilities, the refugees from Ukraine. Only thanks to the mobilization of the entire society, the government succeeds to manage such a large number of refugees and to elaborate efficient mechanisms of protection and support. The empathy and mutual support matter a lot in the crisis situations, as it is the one which we experience now,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.      

The PM also encouraged the women refugees and assured them that Moldova’s authorities were with the Ukrainian citizens, through the providing of the assistance necessary. Natalia Gavrilita noted, in this respect, the electronic platform www.dopomoga.gov.md for getting the personal identification number of Moldova by the Ukrainian refugees in our country, based on which they will be able to benefit from public services in Moldova.    

Photo: Government