Month: January 2024

Interview with Tetiana
Interview with Tetiana Havrylkova Our beneficiary | Please tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Tatiana Havrylkova, I am 48 years old. I am from Kharkiv, Ukraine. How did you arrive in Romania? Who joined you? On March 16, 2022, I came to Romania with my son because I was forced to leave Ukraine to escape the war, as the city of Kharkiv was the first to come under fire. And it was dangerous to be there. What interesting and valuable things did you discover and what difficulties did you encounter in Romania? Romania is a beautiful country, rich in history and beautiful nature. We faced many difficulties. It was difficult to find housing, we didn’t get used to food, there were not enough funds to buy clothes, since we left Ukraine with only the most necessary things. And the main problem we faced was lack of knowledge of the Romanian language. Without knowledge of the language, it is difficult to find a job. How did ARCA support you particularly? ARCA, or rather, its employees helped me make a CV, called employers and various organizations, accompanied me to an interview, and I am very grateful to them for that. Thanks to ARCA, I found a job and got the opportunity to provide for my family. Describe your experience with finding a job in Romania. It was very difficult to find a job without knowing the language. However I tried to find it myself, but it did not lead to success. Thanks to cooperation with the ARCA organization, they found a vacancy for me as a cook in a restaurant. ARCA employees arranged a meeting and accompanied me to the interview. Thanks to the support of the ARCA, I was accepted and I have been working for more than 3 months. What did you wish to find in Romania and you didn’t find? In Romania I hoped to receive protection and help. Of course, I did not find support from the state from the first days of being in Romania, I also cannot expect help from the state, benefits are not paid, and housing is very expensive. You have to rely only on yourself. Unfortunately, I believe that Romania does not fulfill its obligations to the European Union by accepting Ukrainians. Only certain non-governmental organizations, like ARCA, provide assistance. What are your plans for the future if returning to Ukraine would not be an option? Do you think about staying in Romania or going to another country? I cannot answer this question. In Romania, people are not valued, their work is not valued, the laws do not work, and I am convinced of this, because I have been here for almost 2 years. And I’m thinking about changing the country. The current article is part of a series of communication materials with the overall objective to increase awareness around migration-related issues through #constructive narratives. The project #UkraineNow is co-financed by the European Union through Erasmus+. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only the views of the authors. The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Află mai mult
Christmas Event
How celebrating together can be seen as a step towards local integration On the coming Christmas Holidays in Romania, we found the perfect occasion to celebrate together with the Ukrainian community. Brings the spirit of Christmas On 19th of December ARCA organized a cultural event at the intersection of multiple relevant events, both international and national, Ukrainian and Romanian. We met on this day with the occasion of International Migrants Day (18th of December), St. Nicholas Day in Ukraine (19th of December) and Christmas on 25th of December in both Romania and officially also in Ukraine since the legislative change took place in Ukraine in the middle of 2023. Since 2017, the date has been one of the official state holidays. Before that, Christmas was celebrated by many on January 7 by the Julian calendar. We made a public invitation to Ukrainian families, but places were limited. So mothers and children who called first were given priority to participate. The event gathered 111 participants. It was definitely a challenge for our team members to manage all people’s kind requests, while cramming in a reasonably sized office space. Drawing on the board was a leisure activity keeping children preoccupied and enthusiastic about the Christmas holidays, some moments to unleash their creative potential. Adults also assisted children with drawing, becoming not just a source of joy for children, but an opportunity for parents to guide children in their artistic expression. Gift sharing was also on our agenda Christmas presents for young children were prepared before, ready to be offered by Santa’s assistants to the little ones. The packages included fruits, sweets and snacks, as well as stationary in case they enjoyed drawing and coloring. This opportunity was used to provide assistance to other organizations, special presents for teens over the age of 15 were distributed also, Romanian Angel Appeal being the organization who offered them to ARCA to be assisted with one of their specific activities addressing youth. 82 children received gifts from our sponsors and spent time with pleasure in a cheerful atmosphere. FOR A SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATION CONSIDER AN AGENDA THAT INCLUDES WILLINGNESS COOPERATION TOGETHERNESS BENEVOLENCE PLAYING SHARING JOY HOME COOKED FOOD GATHERING US ALL AROUND THE TABLE CHRISTMAS TREE & CAROLS FRUITS & SWEETS FREE TALKS LAUGHTER RELAXATION As members of the civil society we consider that by working on creating a welcoming environment and offering the migrant community a shared space of values and traditions more possible steps can be taken towards local integration, thus building on the existing commonalities while addressing the existing gaps and differences. The wellbeing of people is vital for any efforts to be considered further as required by any new society in terms of language, culture, employment prospects and social integration. In the end, a good human relationship with the other triggers the best results in any of us. Happy New Year! The current article is part of a series of communication materials with the overall objective to increase awareness around migration-related issues through #constructive narratives. The project #UkraineNow is co-financed by the European Union through Erasmus+. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the content, which reflects only the views of the authors. The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Află mai mult