Anhelina is a young Ukrainian woman from Mykolaiv who moved to Moldova with her younger sister and mother shortly after the breakout of the war in Ukraine. Her family returned to Ukraine, but she decided to stay and start a new life in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Today, Anhelina works as a communications specialist helping vulnerable people in Moldova, including Ukrainian refugees. Besides her work, Anhelina dedicates much of her time to dancing hip hop, her longtime passion. As of now, she represents Moldova in international competitions.
“Until the 24th of February 2022, [the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine], I had a perfect job, a happy relationship and I could travel all around the world. Everyone in my family was alive and we were living a peaceful life, but suddenly everything became scary and worrisome. For a long time, I was in a state of derealisation, but now I have started to come back to life,” recalls Anhelina. Anhelina is currently the only Ukrainian member of the Moldovan hip-hop dance team and has already participated in competitions in France and Poland. The team has also competed in Moldova and Romania, where they achieved first place and were invited to compete in the USA. The team is currently seeking sponsorship for this trip.
Whilst travelling to a dance competition in Romania, Anhelina found an abandoned kitten in a rubbish bin. She took him in to be fostered but decided after all to keep it forever. Anhelina named it after her dance team – Rarik. She loves taking care of the kitten and it has become an important part of her life.
Another passion of hers is knitting, she says it calms her nerves. Once she goes back home after work, and she does not have any other appointments, Anhelina knits scarfs, shawls or balaclavas. She does it for herself.
Through personal connections, Anhelina found out about a rent assistance programme, which she received for six months. Acted is providing this assistance to meet the urgent housing needs of Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable Moldovans. This support, made possible by the European Union Humanitarian Aid, covers accommodation costs for 695 households for up to six months.
I am very grateful to receive this kind of support. It gave room to plan the future while it also improved my quality of life.
The support provided by the European Union and Acted has enabled Anhelina to reduce her financial burden and focus on promising professional career and creative hobbies.
Acted and its ‘PLACE’ Consortium partners – IMPACT Initiatives, People In Need and the Norwegian Refugee Council will continue its efforts to support Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable Moldovan communities in the country through different interventions aiming to promote social inclusion and a better life.
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