Various organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, got involved alongside CUAMM UK in the event that was sponsored by the Committee on Migration and Asylum and the General Inspectorate for Migration, but organized and coordinated by UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency).
A Day at the Park was open to all civil society entities, national and international, working in Moldova and particularly with refugees. Its purpose was to be a platform to promote and inform the public about civil society involvement in activities aimed at supporting refugees and vulnerable populations, and in favor of peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities. Many Ukrainian refugees from RACs attended the celebration alongside with Moldovan citizens representing host communities making the event a valuable occasion for the promotion of dialogue, wellness and both individual and social stability.
CUAMM UK organized a series of activities for children and youth at its infopoint where a representative of the Organization was also present to give parents and/or caregivers information and raise awareness among both Ukrainian refugee population and host communities on the activities implemented through R.I.S.E. project.
«Events like this are the perfect occasion not only to give refugees space for expression and celebrate their dignity but also promote dialogue between refugees and host communities therefore foster peaceful coexistence – said Stefano Zanni, CUAMM UK Project Manager who added: in a context of protracted emergency, in a fragile country like Moldova, many are the factors that might undermine cohesion between Ukrainian refugees and host communities and we have to work on that».
Other local associations and NGOs working on the ground proposed various activities and engaged the public in workshop, art therapy session, career development consultation with the aim to develop personal and professional skills for the social-economic integration in Moldova of forcibly displaced children, youth and adults from Ukraine and vulnerable local communities and to strengthen their capacity to make a strategic choice on the economic dimension that can influence several aspects of their lives, their families, but also the communities. The event was also meant to provide a safe space in which participants, both young people and adults, could engage in manual and creative activities that act as decompression actions, while at the same time having a shared or individual way of investigating their fears and fragilities and thus receiving psychological guidance from the MHPSS staff.
Since the conflict broke out on 24th February, 2022, approximately over one million refugees crossed the border seeking refuge in Moldova, one of Europe’s most fragile countries. To prevent the collapse of the national healthcare system and address the healthcare needs of both the refugee and local populations, targeted interventions have been deemed necessary. CUAMM’s commitment in the country started in April 2022 in the capital Chişinau. Since then and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the WHO, the intervention has been guided by the twofold objective of providing basic medical assistance within RACs and offering specific training for local medical personnel on neonatal emergency. To date, CUAMM is still committed to such activities thanks to the support offered by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through R.I.S.E. project. The commitment also extends to Ukraine, focusing on the delivery of medicines, medical equipment, and consumables to healthcare facilities; distribution of food items, essential goods, and equipment to combat the cold; as well as providing psychological support to the most vulnerable.
