After fleeing war in Ukraine with her children, Marina found safety, educational support and a path toward stability through the CWS partner-led Anastasis Community Center in Moldova. These services were made possible with funding from Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD).
“Today, I no longer live in fear. I believe in myself, and I am not afraid of what lies ahead.”
– Marina, program participant of the Anastasis Community Center
Forced to Leave Home
Before war broke out in Ukraine, Marina lived a peaceful life with her husband and three children. She enjoyed her job as a primary school teacher and the comforts of a quiet home.
Then, everything changed when Russia launched a full-scale attack in February 2022.
Suddenly, Marina’s home was no longer safe. She was faced with the impossible decision of whether to flee with her children, all while dealing with the breakdown of her marriage and caring for her sick mother. These additional challenges made an already uncertain situation overwhelming.
At first, Marina waited, hoping the war would end and her family could find stability again. Instead, the sound of gunfire became unbearable, and she knew they had no other option than to seek safety.
With limited financial resources and the sole responsibility of caring for her family, Marina made one of the hardest decisions of her life: to flee her home. She arrived in neighboring Moldova with very few belongings and the immense weight of uncertainty over what came next.
Marina and her children struggled to find their footing. Upon arrival, they found shelter at a refugee accommodation center, but the trauma from the war impacted the entire family. Her middle child, age 11, began to develop speech difficulties.
“There were moments when I felt I had no strength left,” Marina shared. “Leaving home, caring for my children and my sick mother, the lack of safety, all of it came at once. I didn’t know what awaited us, and I was afraid for my children’s future.”
Finding Refuge and Support In Moldova
Then, the turning point came when Marina heard about the Anastasis Community Center, run by CWS local partner Diaconia Social Mission.
At the Center, her children were able to continue their studies online and receive educational support. They were also referred to a psychologist, who helped the family process the trauma of war. For her son, those sessions had a visible effect: his speech became steadier, improving his self-confidence as a result.
Not long after arriving in Moldova, Marina went through another painful loss: the death of her mother. The Anastasis team remained a pillar of support during this period of grief, offering their family the stability they needed to move forward.
Since then, Marina has invested in her own future, participating in training sessions and attending Romanian language courses. Through her efforts, she was able to secure a steady job as a local teacher, providing her family with enough income to move out of the refugee accommodation center and into a more permanent rental home.
Rebuilding Stability and A Pathway to a Hopeful Future
Marina’s family now looks toward the future together with hope. The eldest daughter recently began university classes, where she studies remotely from Moldova, and Marina’s other two children are focused on their schoolwork and maintaining good grades.
Now, Marina is studying educational management with dreams of becoming a school principal one day so she can continue to shape other children’s futures.
Despite all that’s changed, Marina remains a close friend of the Anastasis Community Center, which provided her with more than educational resources or training. “Anastasis helped us rebuild our life step-by-step,” Marina said. “My children were safe, and I received support when I needed it most.”
Marina’s story is proof that when individuals receive support, empathy and solidarity, even the most painful experiences can become new beginnings. The Anastasis Community Center remains a pillar of stability and hope for families affected by war, offering them not only assistance, but also the strength to rebuild their future.
For nearly 80 years, CWS has walked alongside people uprooted by conflict, disaster and poverty, helping families rebuild their lives through just and sustainable responses to displacement and crisis. In Ukraine and neighboring Moldova, that legacy continues through partnerships that provide education, psychosocial support, livelihoods assistance and basic needs for refugees and host communities. Learn more about CWS’s Ukraine response and how you can stand with families like Marina’s.