The long winter holidays are coming soon and the school children don't have to attend classes but may enjoy the holidays. However, this also means that canteens won't work and the children from needy, socially disadvantaged families won't receive hot meals. For many children, this lunch is the only full meal of the day.

On the initiative and thanks to the support of the association "Menschen Helfen e.V." (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier, Germany), a campaign has been carried out to distribute food packages to the needy children of the Day Children Centre "Saint Mary" in Grigorauca, Singerei district. 122 packages with all the necessary groceries were distributed so that the children have enough food throughout the holiday period. The packages were so heavy that the children could not carry them home without their parents' help. The total weight of the distributed food parcels was around 1‘980 kg.

On behalf of all beneficiaries, we express our sincere thanks to the sponsor of this wonderful campaign: Thank you for not forgetting the needy in Moldova and for continuing to do this noble work. God bless you!

The custom and tradition of St. Nicholas Day is well known and loved by the children. On the evening of St. Nicholas Day, children put their cleaned boots outside the door and wait for St. Nicholas to fill them with sweets, fruits and nuts. It’s a beautiful tradition that brings great joy to boys and girls.

795 children from our children's projects in Moldova and from the Catholic parish in Tiraspol, Transnistria, experienced happy moments on St. Nicholas Day. Each received sweet gifts. How beaming are the children's faces!

Help for Children in Need (President Mr. Peter Garst, Switzerland), Menschen Helfen e.V. (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier, Germany), Hilfswerk Liechtenstein e.V. (Liechtenstein) and Catholic Parish Schierling (Fritz Wallner, Germany) played the role of St. Nicholas.

Thanks to the Catholic parish of Schierling, the 2‘800 refugee children in the Kamyanets-Podilskyi diocese did not remain without gifts. Bishop Leon Dubravsky personally gave some of the gifts to the children. The little ones are very grateful for this wonderful and tasty surprise.

Due to the difficult situation in Ukraine and on the initiative of Bishop Leon Dubravsky, Ordinary of the Diocese of Kamyanets-Podilskyi, and the financial support of Mrs. Brigitta Walder and Father Erwin Benz, Switzerland, it was possible to carry out a charity campaign. This campaign is an act of mercy and compassion towards the Ukrainians who are forced to endure the horrors of war. In such a way, 58 children received the necessary school articles (and sweets, of course) and 280 families received food packages. The total weight of packages was about 4.000 kg.

The beneficiaries sincerely thank the sponsors for this vital help and wish them God's blessings.

Water is a source of life. There is no question that clean drinking water is of vital importance. The Homuteanovca village in the Ialoveni district did not have good water for many years. The old water tank that supplied the whole village with water was in a desolate condition; it was badly rusted and leaking. In this regard, the villagers have had water supply disruptions for at least 1.5 years. And the dirty water caused health problems, especially among the old people.

As part of this project, a new water tower was purchased and installed. The purchase of the water tower was made possible thanks to the financial support of the organization “Hilfe für Osteuropa Todtnau-Seelscheid e.V.” (President Mrs. Ursula Honeck, Germany); the cost of installing the tower was covered by the Gangura commune, Ialoveni district.

Now the villagers have no more worries about this. They are happy and grateful that they now have good quality and clean water.

We sincerely thank the project sponsors for their invaluable contribution to the Homuteanovca village.

Health is the most priceless thing in the world. Regardless of age, it is necessary to protect health and take care of the body in order to avoid serious diseases. However, disease prevention cannot always save us from serious chronic diseases, injuries or other ailments; it needs medicine and medical treatment. In the current economic situation, many cannot afford to pay for the necessary medicines and treatment.

Thanks to this project, 63 young and old people, both locals and refugees from Ukraine, received the necessary medicines and treatment for various diseases and ailments. In addition, the neediest elderly people have been receiving the medicines to treat their illnesses throughout the year. The project beneficiaries would like to thank the sponsor of the project - "Hilfswerk Liechtenstein e.V.", Triesen, Liechtenstein, for this vital help.

The representatives of the organization "PRO MOLDAVIA e.V." came to Moldova to visit the projects of the association, including projects realised in cooperation with „PRO UMANITAS”. In such a way they visited the Gangura commune, Ialoveni district. During this visit the representatives met with the beneficiaries of the project "Bread for the Breadless" in the Homuteanovca village, visited the kindergarten in the Gangura village and the day center for children "BUNVOLENTIA Alexandrovca" in the Misovca village, which they have been co-financing for many years.

Everywhere the guests were warmly welcomed. The children surprised them with beautiful gifts.

The association "Menschen helfen e.V." (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier) has been financing the day center for children "Saint Mary" in the Grigorauca village, of Singerei district since 2007. This center offers nine courses: Computer Science, Sewing, "Skilled Hands", English, Dance, Sport, Radiotechnique, Woodworking and Puppet Show. The day center is currently attended by 115 children from socially disadvantaged, needy families. So that these children have the possibility to develop their creative skills and pursue their hobbies and even learn the basics for a profession, "Menschen helfen e.V." organizes a charity festival - "kultURKNALL".

This year the "kultURKNALL" took place on 23 and 24.07.2022. The festival had success; this event is also important for the further activity of the day center "Saint Maria" in Grigorauca.

Nutrition is a top priority for us and our partners, especially when it comes to children nutrition. In summer, when the school and the school canteen are closed, the children do not get hot meals. The organizations "Help for Children in Need" (HCN) (President Mr. Peter Garst, Switzerland) and "Menschen helfen e.V." (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier, Germany) took care of 675 needy people and supported the implementation of the campaign of purchasing and distributing of food packages. These packages contain all the basic products; the total weight of the food packages was 10'665 kg. The package was so heavy for the children that they could not carry it home without the help of their parents.

We would like to thank the donors from the bottom of our hearts for the implementation of this wonderful campaign.

The elderly of the day center "Sfintul Petru" in Grigorauca, Singerei district, get warmth and care. They can visit the center every day; There they receive a variety of help and support: daily warm meals, the provision of medicines, and food packages campaigns are organised several times a year for them. On the initiative of Priest Erwin Benz, Switzerland, a campaign to distribute detergents and other washing materials to 28 elderly people from the center was carried out this year. All beneficiaries are very grateful for the great help they have received. God bless you!

The representative of the Swiss organization "Help for Children in Need" (HCN), Mr. Edwin Hollenstein, has again visited the Republic of Moldova after a long break. During his short visit, he had the possibility to see various projects, including 16 day centers for children BUNVOLENTIA, which HCN has been supporting for many years, day center for the elderly "Sfintul Petru" and day center for children "Saint Mary" in Grigorauca, Singerei district, chess academy in the Petrovca village, Singerei district and the refugee center in Ivancea village, Orhei district, which was opened by the organization ORA International Moldova (President Mrs. Veronica Martiniuc) and has been supported by HCN for five months already. During this visit there was also an acquaintance with the new management of some projects in North of Moldova and discussions with coordinators and teachers about the activities of the centers during the pandemic, met with chess players who had won prizes at the republican chess championship, took part in the distribution of food packages for children from needy families, met with refugees from Odessa. The elderly and children of the above-mentioned projects were given sweet surprises by the dear guest. Unfortunately, Mr. Peter Garst, President of HCN, could not come to Moldova this time, but all beneficiaries send him their warm regards and look forward to the next joint visit of Mr. Garst and Mr. Hollenstein to Moldova as soon as possible.

Socially disadvantaged segments of the population, such as needy, low-income families and sick pensioners, find themselves in a difficult financial situation. During the hard winter, these needy people suffer particularly from hunger, colds and serious chronic illnesses. Due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, importing heating materials has become more difficult; and prices have increased many times over. These circumstances force the poorest segments of the population to freeze indoors during the winter cold.

Thanks to the love of Christ and the mercy of our partners from the association "Menschen Helfen e.V." (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier, Germany) we had the opportunity to supply 42 needy families in the Grigorauca village with firewood during this difficult time. This is a great help for people in need to get through the difficult winter period. May the Lord reward you a hundredfold for your helpfulness and compassion!

This Saturday was the traditional meeting with sponsored families, who have been supported for several years by the organization “Hilfe für Osteuropa e.V.” (President Mrs. Ursula, Honeck, Germany). Unfortunately, Mrs. Honeck could not come to Moldova and personally attend the meeting with 21 needy families (10 families in Chisinau and 11 families in Orhei district); however, she sent her warm regards and the financial support. It was a wonderful meeting with many words of thanks and appreciation for the vital help during these difficult times. May God bless you!

After a long and eventful school year, the children are looking forward to summer holidays, sunny weather and fun days. As part of the day centers for children BUNVOLENTIA, trips for children were organized every year so that they could get to know the sights of their country and see something interesting and exciting. And finally, after a long break, this wonderful tradition was embodied again. Together with the project coordinators and teachers, 415 children drove to Chisinau, where they could see an interesting cartoon, a performance in a puppet theater, visit an entertainment center and the zoo. And after that, the children had a delicious lunch in one of the city's pizzerias. It really was a day full of impressions.

The children are very grateful for this unforgettable trip to the organization "Help for Children in Need" (President Mr. Peter Garst, Switzerland), which has already supported this initiative for many years.

Summer vacations are always welcome: classes, school visits and breaks really take a break; and we look forward to a change. It's the time of warm days, sunny weather and fun adventures. This wonderful time has already begun for 114 children from the Day centre for children "Saint Mary" in Grigorauca. A trip to Chisinau was organized for them and especially for all their efforts during the school year. Here they could watch an exciting 3D cartoon, have a delicious lunch in a pizzeria, then also visit the zoo and learn something new about different species of animals. The children were deeply impressed by this trip.

We would like to thank the association "Menschen Helfen e.V.", President Dr. Robert Roithmeier (Germany), for supporting this wonderful trip.

International Children's Day or World Children's Day aims to draw attention to the rights and needs of children. On this day, the focus is on topics such as children's rights, child protection and child policy. To celebrate this day, a varied entertainment program was organised for children from socially disadvantaged families who benefit from our projects - namely day centers for children BUNVOLENTIA and day center “St. Mary” in Grigorauca. Due to the sunny and warm weather, various creative competitions, sports competitions, as well as team games could be organized outdoors. The children participated enthusiastically and had a lot of fun. At the end all 531 children got a sweet gift; they were very happy about it.

Representatives of the association "Menschen Helfen e.V." - Dr. Robert Roithmeier and Mr. Ingo Ingerl, Germany, - came to Moldova for a short visit. As part of the visit, they were able to visit the BUNVOLENTIA Gangura I and Gangura II projects and the kindergarten in the Gangura village, Ialoveni district. All children received sweets as a gift from guests.

The next day, the dear guests also visited the day center for the elderly “Sf. Petru" and the children's day center "St. Mary" in Grigorauca; they have been financing this children's day center since 2007. This was the first meeting of representatives of "Menschen Helfen e.V." with the children of the center after a break of 2.5 years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both the children and the employees of the center were happy about the dear guests and gave them a warm welcome. The guests were amazed at the excellent performances of the children and rewarded them with sweet surprises for their great effort.

On behalf of all children, their parents, the employees of the children's day center, the local authorities and the residents of the Grigorauca village, we would like to thank "Menschen Helfen e.V." for the great willingness to help and the great contribution to Moldova! God bless you!

In addition to needy children, their families and lonely, sick and elderly people, 172 food packages were distributed to refugee families from Ukraine as part of the Easter campaign to celebrate the great holiday in memory of Christ's resurrection. We would like to thank Priest Erwin Benz, Switzerland, for the support in the implementation of this beautiful campaign. God bless you!

Easter is a new life, a source of life; it gives the light of hope. Despite the numerous projects that PRO UMANITAS implements with the financial support of its sponsors to help Ukrainian refugees, our partners could not forget to organize a traditional Easter campaign to distribute food packages. In this way, 745 needy children as well as old, lonely and sick people could feel the love and the miracle of this Easter celebration. With the received food, the needy can celebrate a real Easter; a total of 9,930 kg of food products were distributed.

This wonderful campaign was supported by Help for Children in Need (President Mr. Peter Garst, Switzerland), Menschen Helfen e.V. (President Dr. Roithmeier, Germany), Priest Erwin Benz, Switzerland), Hilfswerk Liechtenstein e.V. (President Mrs. Bettina Pelger-Sprenger, Liechtenstein) and the Catholic Parish of Schierling (Fritz Wallner, Germany).

Despite the war started by Russia in Ukraine, a neighboring country of Moldova, and the resulting influx of refugees (Moldova ranks first among the countries in terms of the number of refugees received in relation to the country's population), we have not renounced to continue our long-term projects, including above all 16 BUNVOLENTIA-projects, the day center for children "Saint Maria" in Grigorauca, the day center for the elderly "Sfintul Petru", "Social canteen for the children from needy families", "Bread for the poorest" and "Financial support for the neediest families in Moldova".

The work of all PRO UMANITAS project employees, who are fully dedicated to the implementation of the projects, deserves special mention. Despite the current political and economic world situation, they are selflessly committed to ensuring that all financial resources made available are used for the benefit of the poorest in the country. They do a great work.

Of course, we would like to express our gratitude to our sponsors who are always ready to help in spite of the difficult situation in the world. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! May the Lord's blessings be upon them and their families!

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing hostilities, millions of Ukrainian refugees, mostly mothers and their children, were forced to flee their homes. A large influx of refugees (ca 300,000 people) came to the Republic of Moldova. The misfortunes of these people left no one indifferent. Public and private organizations, commercial and charitable organizations as well as ordinary citizens offered the help that the refugees so needed.

PRO UMANITAS has also decided to provide assistance to refugees in the country. Thanks to the great support of all our partners, namely "Help for Children in Need" (HCN) (President Mr. Peter Garst, Switzerland), "Menschen Helfen e. V." (President Dr. Robert Roithmeier, Germany), Catholic Parish Schierling (Fritz Wallner, Germany), Priest Erwin Benz (Switzerland), Mrs. BrigittaWalder (Switzerland), "Hilfswerk Liechtenstein e.V." (President Mrs. Bettina Pelger-Sprenger, Liechtenstein), "Hilfe für Osteuropa e.V." (President Mrs. Ursula Honeck, Germany), "PRO MOLDAVIA e.V." (I President Mr. Norbert Rockstein, Germany), the Stangl family (Germany) and Mrs. Gloria Rickenbacher (Switzerland) hundreds of refugees receive the necessary help every day: three meals a day or food packages with basic foodstuffs, personal care items, underwear, bedding, toys and stationery for children and much more.

In addition, several children from refugee families are already visiting our BUNVOLENTIA projects, as well as the day centre for children "Saint Mary" in Grigorauca.

We sincerely thank the sponsors of this project for their compassion and helpfulness. God bless you!

Some children from the projects BUNVOLENTIA Petrovca and Vladimirovca are very fond of playing chess. Since October 2021 they have also been attending the chess academy opened in Petrovca, where they are learning how to play well this wonderful game. And here are the first amazing results! At the Republican Chess Tournament, which took place on January 19, 2022, our children were able to compete and even win prizes. We heartily congratulate our young champions and wish them many victories in the future!

Severe winter frosts prevail now in Moldova. Unfortunately, not all families can afford to buy enough heating material to get through this time. These families include socially disadvantaged and large families, families with unemployed parents and lonely elderly who have to live on a meager pension. The aggravated energy crisis in the country, as a result of which the cost of fuel has increased sharply, makes buying firewood not only difficult, but practically impossible.

The organization "Hilfswerk Liechtenstein e.V." came to the aid of 15 neediest families from Grigorauca and Petropavlovca, Singerei district. These families received enough firewood so that they would not have to suffer from the frost until the end of the heating season. God bless you!

As traditionally a meeting with the sponsored families who have been financially supported by the organization "Hilfe für Osteuropa e.V." (President Mrs. Ursula Honeck, Germany) for many years took place. Due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation, Mrs. Honeck was, unfortunately, unable to visit Moldova. Despite this, all 23 families received the financial assistance from their grantors. For this noble act they are deeply grateful.