This blog was written by Maria, a participant in a program implemented by one of CWS’s local partners in Moldova, Healthy City (also known as Zdorovii Gorod), which supports Ukrainian refugees with comprehensive services including food and non-food items, social inclusion and integration and psychosocial support. These services were made possible through funding from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
Before the war, I lived in Odesa, raised two children and managed my own business. Then, in March 2022, our lives changed.
Together with my children, parents, niece and her child, we were forced to leave home and move to Moldova. Like many refugee families, we started almost everything from scratch.
One of the first organizations that supported us was Healthy City, a CWS local partner. At that time, food support was very important for our large family. The children also received support and were invited to participate in events, excursions and various initiatives held by the organization. All of this helped us feel like we were not alone.
But for me personally, the most valuable contribution came from the opportunity to learn and develop professionally.
Vocational Training for Refugees: How New Skills Opened New Doors
Through Healthy City, I was able to take hairdressing courses, received education as a cosmetologist, makeup artist, and massage therapist and participated in social media management training. Despite the long distance, I regularly traveled to my classes because I understood that new knowledge and a steady profession would help me build a future for myself and my children.
During my studies, I met many wonderful women. Among us were future cosmetologists, massage therapists, manicurists and other beauty specialists. We were united by the desire to develop, work and become independent. Gradually, we came up with the idea of creating our own beauty space, where we could apply our knowledge and gain experience.
The Healthy City team supported our idea. They provided us with a space to work and helped us access the necessary equipment. There, our first small beauty space was born, allowing us to gain practical experience working with clients and take our first professional steps.
Investing in Women’s Livelihoods: From Support to Self-Reliance
Later, I underwent additional business training and realized that I was ready to develop my own business. We started with a small office, then moved to a larger space, and today we work in a full-fledged beauty salon in Balti. The women with whom I started this journey a few years ago continue to work next to me. New specialists have also joined our team, and they are also building their professional careers.
Today, it is especially important for me to pass on the support that I once received myself. For several months now, I have been hiring young women with limited experience as interns. I remember well how difficult it is to take those first steps, look for the first clients and learn to believe in yourself. Therefore, I try to share my knowledge, offer advice and be there for them on this path.
On my own behalf and on behalf of many beauty professionals, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Healthy City. For many of us, it was here that the path to a new profession began. It was here that we received the first knowledge, the first tools for work, the first opportunities for professional growth and integration in a new country.
Humanitarian aid, vouchers and activities for children and families were very important and will remain in our memory. But for me and my team, the most valuable thing was that the organization saw potential in us and helped us not only survive a difficult period, but also become professionals, entrepreneurs and self-confident women.
Thank you for your support, faith and the opportunity to start a new life. The story of my business and of many women who work next to me today is largely the result of the help that we received at the right time.
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 Maria’s.