How Ukrainian refugees are looking for work in Moldova

The large-scale war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine has been going on for more than two years, and Ukrainians continue to leave our country looking for a safer place or more comfortable living conditions. A large number of refugees are traveling to the countries of the European Union, some are seeking refuge in the United States, Canada and other countries. Those who planned to leave their native country for a short time settled in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Moldova, neighboring Ukraine, writes UNN.

According to data from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, about 6.3 million Ukrainians left our country because of the war. Of these, about 4.2 million Ukrainians are in the EU; about 1.3 million are in Russia or Belarus; about 400 thousand citizens have left Europe for other countries.

Many of those who left Ukraine in the early days of the war were sure that they were going only for a few weeks. However, a few months later it became clear that the war would last longer than many had expected. Ukrainian refugees faced the issue of settling down in a foreign country and finding a job.

Those who were accepted by Moldova were able to find work through the National Employment Agency ANOFM.

"When the war started, I panicked like everyone else. I wanted to stay in Odessa, but my husband insisted that I go to Moldova. Thus, together with our 11-year-old son, we came to Balti," Tatiana said.

According to her, her husband, daughter and mother remained in Ukraine. "My daughter works as a nurse and stayed to provide much-needed medical care during the war. It's hard for me to accept that she has to go through such a difficult experience at such a young age.

Tatiana said that after arriving in Moldova, she spent days reading the news about Ukraine and her native Odessa. "That's when I realized that I needed to find a job to reduce my stress levels," she said.

On the recommendation of relatives living in Moldova, Tatiana applied to the National Employment Agency, where she received several job offers. Among them, she chose the position of a laboratory assistant in the Trans-Oil group of businessman Vazha Jashi, who owns the Floarea Soarelui SA sunflower oil production plant, and two weeks later she started a new job.

"I wanted to get to work as soon as possible. I felt a strong need to do something useful while I was here," Tatiana said.

She was not the only refugee from Ukraine at the factory. There she met Anna from Nikolaev.

"This is a big challenge for me, because I used to work as a sales consultant in a clothing store in my hometown. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn something new, earn a living and work in a pleasant environment with hospitable people," Anna said.

According to the women at the factory, they were amazed at how many tests need to be carried out before the oil gets on our tables.

Tatiana and Anna are now part of a team of over 600 employees.

In the early days of the war, 133 Moldovan employers offered more than 2,100 jobs for refugees from Ukraine in such areas as information technology, construction, mechanical engineering, tailoring, healthcare and others.

At the same time, the Trans-Oil group even organized a camp for Ukrainian refugees at first, where volunteers distributed food and helped find shelter.

Despite the fact that more than two years have passed since the large-scale invasion, Ukrainians continue to flee the horrors of war. In a foreign land, they can only hope for help and support such as, for example, in Moldova.