Olga feels at home now, but she still has a long way to go.
Olga is reconnecting with her daughters after abandoning them with their grandmother for years. She is learning to show love to two girls who never received her love before. She is having to be patient as they get to know her. She is learning to be a parent.
She is trying to rebuild a relationship with her mother after years of coming and going, leaving her children behind. She is dealing with questions about her past, where she was for all those years, about the fathers of her children. She is dealing with doubts about her commitment to the future of her family.
She is trying to find a way to earn some money to pay the bills.
She is learning to trust the team at Beginning of Life, FSCI’s partners in Moldova. She is wondering if the programme she is part of can really help her. Can she break the patterns of her past? Can she win a place in her children’s hearts? Can she convince her mother that she will stay this time? She hopes that she can, but even though she is home now, there is still so far to go.
Update: May 2026
Olga is still on her travels, but a great deal has changed for the better since she began receiving support from Beginning of Life.
The routine of attending sessions helped Olga develop greater stability and discipline. She became more attentive to the needs of her children. Her son began to feel more secure and less afraid of being abandoned. Gradually, Olga also began to rebuild relationships with her older daughters, especially her eldest, who was going through a difficult teenage period. She actively sought advice and support on how to care for and guide her.
Over time, further positive steps followed. Olga found stable employment and her son began attending kindergarten.
Then, in the summer of 2023, Olga got married for the first time. Although the years have not been easy, Olga and her husband have worked hard at building a life together. They are expecting a child in the summer of 2026. Her older daughters remain engaged in BoL’s Urban Teens programme, continuing their own journey of growth and support.
Today, Olga has come to a new understanding: This is her family, she is responsible for them, and she is making sure that each of her children is loved, valued and supported in their own journeys. But now they are travelling together.