Anatolii calls it a significant breakthrough and says they have “actually tripled their livestock…That’s three times more production and three times more profit!” He goes on to add, “I am engaged in milk production, and [Oksana] is already engaged in cheese-making. We are a kind of harmonious unit.”

In order to receive a grant, the ICRC conducts an assessment to hear from refugees and families who are hosting them about the kind of projects they would like to start, or pre-existing business they would like to grow.

In the Transnistria Region, 93 host families and 83 Ukrainian refugees benefitted from the cash-for-livelihood support program. Among the households that benefitted from the project, 110 out of the 176 were headed by women. For most of the beneficiaries, having an income-generating activity means it is “no longer an empty day.”

The range of projects the ICRC has supported include livestock breeding, agriculture, home contracting work, a tailoring shop, greenhouses, winemaking, bakeries, grocery stores, cleaning services, taxi companies, carpentry, and providing specialized services for the community.