If I had billions, I would buy them everything they want, says Ștefan, a single father of three from Moldova

Published: Oct 21, 2022 Reading time: 2 minutes

To pay for the children's school fees, to buy medicine for my son, and still have something left over to buy food or clothes, running a household on a worker's salary is not easy. Especially when everything is getting more expensive, and prices are rising. To ease the stresses caused by rising prices, we have provided Ștefan with emergency financial assistance. Ștefan is a beneficiary of our project to fight the energy crisis, funded by the European Union.

In Moldova, prices have doubled compared to last year, in some cases even tripled—not only for energy but also for basic food and goods. Coal, for example, was selling for 3,200 lei (CZK 4,000) per tonne last year, but this year a tonne already costs 7,000 lei (CZK 8,800). Similarly, the prices of hygiene products, food, seeds, and medicines have also grown. This particularly worries the poorest people—the elderly, single parents, and families with several children.

With the support from the European Union, we are helping people, both materially and financially. Ștefan is but one of the thousands of people who have received money through our project. He was able to pay for his children's school fees and use the remaining funds to buy medicine for his son. As a single parent, Ștefan must do everything on his own. As a worker, he earns 100-200 lei (500-1,000 CZK), which is not enough to cover his family's expenses, so he is very grateful for any help.

"If I had billions, I would buy them a boat and everything they want. But I don't have it, so I do what I can."

Emergency response to the energy crisis

We are helping people like Ștefan thanks to a humanitarian project to fight the energy crisis, funded by the European Union. We work closely with the Moldovan Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) and other state institutions that provide social services in Moldova. Together, we identify selected households that receive financial assistance of 1,000 lei (50 EUR). We plan to support 40,000 households in this way. Beneficiaries who, due to their high levels of vulnerability, cannot afford to cover their energy needs independently will be provided with heating materials for the winter. As part of the project, we also support local organisations and initiatives that provide social services such as lunch, hygiene supplies, or transport.

A study on household indebtedness in the context of the energy crisis is also underway. In total, the European project will directly help at least 46,000 households (around 133,400 people) and about 27 civil society actors and social service providers across Moldova.