ONE YEAR OF WAR IN UKRAINE. CARITAS ROMANIA, ASSISTANCE AND SHELTER AFTER DESPERATION

The border crossing to Romania was the light at the end of the tunnel for Iryna, her daughter, her sister-in-law, and her two daughters, escaping from the war in Ukraine. Iryna Pysarenko (31 years old) is a mother from Drushkovka in the Donetsk region in Ukraine. She came to Romania on April 4, 2022, with her 6-year-old daughter and her husband’s sister, who has two preschool-aged girls. Iryna told us in our first meeting at CICRO (the Caritas Information and Counselling Centre for Refugees in Oradea) that the decision to leave Ukraine was urgent and challenging, especially since her husband had to stay there and she was pregnant with the second child of the family. She collected some clothes in a backpack, took the documents, a sum of money she had in the house, and the favorite toy of her 6-year-old. Then they left the basement of their home to reach the border with Romania. As soon as they arrived, dozens of volunteers and employees from different institutions in Romania assailed them with support: food, a place to sleep, and information about where they could find help.

They got food and clothes. Iryna and her sister-in-law chose to stay in Bihor County in the west of Romania. Accommodated initially in a village in Bihor county, Iryna moved to the city of Oradea to have easier access to social services. There she found out about Caritas and CICRO and asked for our help on July 25, 2022. She was in her 30th week pregnant when she contacted us. The lack of permanent accommodation, the lack of a family doctor and a gynecologist who could monitor her pregnancy, and the emotional instability of Iryna were priorities for the social worker.

Iryna Pysarenko (31 years old) and her daughter Elyzaveta.

We found an apartment funded through the government 50-20 programs for refugees from Ukraine, offering a decent, clean, spacious housing space. We also succeeded to enrolled the family with a family doctor, which still is instead a challenge for most refugees due to administrative burdens. On July 26, 2022, we made an appointment and accompanied Iryna to the maternity unit for the periodic medical check-up on the pregnancy. The CICRO translator translated the dialogue between the gynecologist and Iryna to assess the situation better and for her to receive the clarifications that subsequently brought her the peace of mind she needed. In Ukraine, she has worked as a nurse at a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities in her hometown, so she has medical knowledge. Together with the family doctor, we overcame other administrative obstacles and registered her family at the Bihor County Health Insurance so that they could have access to medical services. Elyzaveta, Iryna’s daughter, participated in the activities of our center for children at the CICRO summer school and integrated into the group of children attending the center. Since autumn, she also participates in educational programs.

During a reassessment of her situation, she smiled at us and told us with a shining face that she keeps in touch with her family “at home” and that her husband is eager to embrace his little girls.

When asked what her opinion is about CICRO, I received an answer that honors and motivates us, as well as empowers Caritas to take care, professionally, of the fragility of the souls hidden behind the shy smiles and gratitude hugs we usually receive: “We express our deep gratitude to the Caritas center. I gave birth to a child here. The center’s staff helped me with picking up the documents and drawing up the medical documentation. Thank you for the opportunity to go to school with a full program. My eldest daughter attends first grade and goes to school as she would in Ukraine.”

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