Students from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine participated in sports events in Bălți, promoting the inclusion of Ukrainian refugees and facilitating their integration into the community.

In Bălți, students from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine participated in a sports competition aimed at supporting the inclusion of refugee children from Ukraine. Ilya, an 11-year-old boy from Kherson, shared about his adaptation in the new school, where he is learning the Romanian language and has made friends. Specialists emphasize that the language barrier poses a challenge for teenagers, with the difficulty of making friends being a common issue. The event, supported by UNICEF Moldova, is part of a larger project aimed at creating connections between refugees and local communities. Cristina Stratulat from UNICEF stated that the goal is for every child to feel included, regardless of their background. At the end of last year, Moldova hosted approximately 118,000 refugees, mostly women and children, due to the conflict in Ukraine.