Eugene’s Story, Ukraine
We planted an Ukrainian apple tree in the yard of a school in Sibiu, as a symbol of our friendship.
Dear Eugen, it has already been more than a year since the outbreak of the war and the arrival of people who sought shelter here. We are trying to understand what the challenges the Ukrainian community in Romania look like and what the solutions for the community’s development would look like. I would like to start with the first question about how a normal working day goes in your life. You are part of an NGO in Sibiu, right?
I am a little tired, but I am excited that today we have completed the first round of aid distribution such as hygiene kits, bed linens, pillows, clothes and some basic things, which are very necessary for families.
Currently, I am the coordinator of integration programs for Ukrainian refugees at Sus Inima. Most of my day is dedicated to education, as I have opened two schools and three kindergarten groups. There is always something that can be done there, improved, some problems to discuss with parents, with teachers.
And the rest is related to the activity of our center, the Ukrainian Center of Sibiu, as we call it, which is located on Mitropoliei Street 28. It is an information point where any person from Ukraine can come for advice, assistance or psychological support, and can find a space with Wi-Fi to work on a PC, without children running around. It is a pleasant place that they can use. Several groups have recently started learning English and Romanian there. We want this center to provide as much support to the community as possible. We also have a library, where meetings for the elderly take place and various events can be organized.
Please tell me how you first got involved in this organization?
I arrived in Sibiu when the war started. On February 28th, last year, I was already in Sibiu. I came with my whole family. It was only when I arrived in Sibiu that I realized we were safe. My family is safe. I didn’t have to worry about them anymore. But there are a lot of people who need help. Most of them are women and children who have never traveled. Most of them have never been abroad. I had this experience. I knew what I had to do, what kind of support I could offer them. I started helping them as a volunteer, and three weeks or a month later, Sus Inima offered me a job, to receive a salary, which allowed me to continue offering help.
How was your work at the beginning?
I know the mindset of Ukrainians and Ukrainians as refugees, who in the first few months did not even want to hear the word “refugees”. They did not want to be associated with this word. I understood all this. Therefore, my activities were directed towards their real needs and necessities, but also to bringing some changes in the programs developed for refugees by Romanian NGOs, where I saw some mistakes that could have been avoided by using the funds efficiently. This was a big part of my role: to gather real information about the needs of Ukrainians.
What should organizations consider when gathering information about community needs?
It is much better these days than it used to be last year. Now, most organizations first ask, study, and then develop some solutions. At first, the situation was the opposite. Everyone had an urgent solution. What kind of solution? For what? For whom? Is it acceptable? On what scale is it needed: for 30 families? Or for 3,000 families? It was not clear at all. That is why a lot of efforts were simply wasted then, especially in terms of learning the Romanian language. At first, most people came to Romania just to wait two weeks or two months. They did not want to learn the language. Now, the situation has changed. Now, most people would like to learn the language, but there are very few courses available.
What kind of projects have you been involved in so far?
The most difficult was the project that we developed for the school. It is for 200 children, but in fact it is for 200 families, because all the family members benefit from this school aid. It was quite complicated, because just to keep the school running, you need 20 teachers who work every day, who need a salary, materials and everything that is necessary for the real work of a teacher.
So this project is the biggest, but also the most difficult. There have been some projects for a bigger group of people, like this humanitarian aid distribution. In two weeks we covered 700 families, but it only lasts for a few weeks, while the school is a one-year project that provides access to education.
Are there any examples of community self-organization or initiatives that you know of that could be good practices?
Most of the projects that are more or less successful are those related to education. I don't just mean school, but also workshops for children, volunteer language courses, art or craft workshops, knitting and jewelry making. Activities that allow you to go to festivals and fairs here in Sibiu during the summer.
Is there a specific moment when things started to improve and we started to plan more efficiently?
I think in October or November 2022.
Do you think the projects have enough funding? Or is it more of a money management issue?
Actually, it’s not just about the money spent on the projects. Of course, money is still needed. But there are a lot of aspects, for example, there is a great lack of Romanian teachers who speak Ukrainian or Russian. I found only one person in Sibiu who can do this. That’s why I hired her as a Romanian teacher in the school. But she is only one person in a city with 4,000 Ukrainians. She can’t teach all these people.
Do you think electronic resources would work in teaching Romanian?
There is always someone who cannot learn through electronic means. They need a physical, real classroom, with a real teacher, with grades, with personal communication. Even if the percentage of these people is not large, let's say 20% of the community of 4,000 people, it would still be a lot. 400 people only need in-person education.
Do you think there are major gaps in helping those fleeing the war in Ukraine in Romania?
I would say that the biggest support needed right now is in helping Ukrainians find jobs. There are other aspects to this as well. An example would be the evaluation of Ukrainians’ diplomas in Romania, so that a person can work in their specialty instead of working in a factory or supermarket as an unskilled employee. I understand that for medical institutions this can be a big problem, but other industries can do this much easier. Where do we go and how do we do this?
Another question is related to the registration of a PFA or SRL. It is not at all clear how this can be done. It is necessary to inform refugees who want to work about all the steps: how to maintain a SRL? How to find an accountant? What authorities can come and check your business? Many people can work on their own, they need a PFA to legalize their income. We are talking about hairdressers, photographers, designers, chefs, etc., who would only need PFA, but they need support in this process, they do not know the procedure or tax legislation. Very little information has been developed in an adequate way for Ukrainians. That is why many of them do not do this and do not legalize their income, even if they would like to.
Do you think that a strong sense of community has already been created among Ukrainians currently living in Romania?
I am not very aware of other cities. I see a good sense of community in Sibiu, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara. There is probably this feeling in Mediaș and Sighisoara as well. But in others, especially those that are closer to the border, the community is not built. There are just a few thousand Ukrainians scattered about. It is not a community.
Apart from using social media channels, are there any offline community meetings?
Yes. The last meeting that was organized was dedicated to the one-year anniversary of the war, at the end of the month, on February 24. We gathered almost 500 Ukrainians in a square in Sibiu. For example, yesterday we planted a Ukrainian apple tree in the yard of a school, as a symbol of our friendship. We also held several concerts during the Christmas period and now we are organizing another one for Easter. So, there is already a fairly developed cultural aspect here.
What other problems would you like to mention?
SThere are a few problematic aspects that I would like to highlight. Most Ukrainians still have problems with the medical system, especially with family doctors. Then, there are practically no support programs of any kind for the elderly. Because of their age, they can no longer work. And, frankly, it is quite late and too difficult for them to learn a new language. The elderly who came here without relatives have the biggest problems. The same can be said about people with disabilities. All support programs available in Romania are only for Romanian citizens. Refugees cannot be included in these programs. So they are not covered now either.
We need major support for those Ukrainians who want to work. The more of them work, the less they will depend on financial support from the government and they will pay taxes. Thus, instead of creating problems, they will actually contribute to solving them.
Last but not least, I would like to mention the discrimination coming from the banking system. This practice of rather poor service from banks for refugees is not clear. Some banks simply refuse to open accounts for them. Some open accounts for some people, but refuse others, and it is not clear why. It is a discriminatory practice, and without having a bank account it is not possible to work legally. Ukrainians do not ask for credits or loans. A bank account is necessary for them to receive a salary. They do not use it abusively. So why do banks refuse to open accounts? I think this is something that the government can influence. No funds from the state budget are needed. It is just a matter of political will.
Dear Eugene, thank you for the discussion. Of course, it would be ideal to have this conversation in a peaceful environment somewhere in Ukraine. We hope that this will happen sooner than we expect.
This story is part of the “Human Stories” collection, which illustrates the voices of refugees in our country and their unique experiences. The interview took place in March 2023. Illustrations by Andra Badea.