[Ukraine] RAC (Refugee Accommodation Center) Support Activities Carry on to Their Sixth Month

Peace Winds Japan, in collaboration with the National Congress of Ukrainians of Moldova (NCUM), a Moldovan NGO, is managing a temporary shelter (RAC) for the population displaced from Ukraine to Moldova.
 

Regular staff meetings

 
PWJ dispatched staff from Japan to Moldova on March 8 2022, 12 days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and met with the NCUM team that day to discuss the RAC operations.
About 80% of the NCUM’s staff members are Ukrainians, most of whom were evacuated to Moldova after the February 24 invasion.
 
At the time of our meeting in March, NCUM had no staff with experience in assisting displaced persons or managing joint projects with international NGOs, and we were starting from scratch in managing the RAC.
 

The RAC on March 8. Supplies were short and the operation of the RAC was chaotic.

 
Since then, the NCUM and the PWJ teams have been meeting regularly to check on the situation, closely discussing challenges and generating solutions together. As a result, the RAC is now operating at such a high quality that other international organizations, such as the UNHCR, have rated it as one of the best and most comfortable shelters in Moldova.
 

A view of the RAC on August 8. The shelter is clean and well maintained, and the living environment has been improved.

 
This RAC is also unique, especially in Chisinau, in that people with pets and people with disabilities can stay together.
 

A woman (right) evacuated from Mykolaiv with her 5-month-old cat.

 
The RAC also focuses on mental health care for children, and has a “Child Friendly Space (CFS)” where children can play safely. Their parents have commented that their children now feel safe and secure in their RAC.
 

Children who have been living at the RAC for about 4 months

 
Peace Winds Japan will continue to support and work with the people of Ukraine. We would like to ask for your continued warm support.