Oleg is 15, from Odessa, and has been living in Chisinau with his mom and younger brother for a year and a half. Like many teenagers, the war separated him from his father. Partly because of this, he has had to grow up very quickly: "In this year and a half, I have matured a lot. Before the war, I felt like a child-child, but when the war started, we moved here, and I somehow grew up too fast. I became a bit more serious, calmer, less sociable, and probably underwent intellectual changes.”

Oleg attends a Moldovan school with Russian language instruction. Despite understanding the language, it is not easy for him to adapt to school. Odessa and Chisinau are close and share many similarities, but according to Oleg, there are slight differences in mindsets, which makes it challenging for him to make new friends. Therefore, almost every day, he goes to the UNFPA-partner Millennium Youth Centre. This center has created a unique friendly atmosphere, welcoming both local teenagers as well as Ukrainians.

"For me, Millennium is like a second home. I go there all the time. Sitting at home is boring. We had different camps with various themes. My favorite was the Harry Potter-style camp. We had quests and interactive activities. This center focuses more on social development, and I go there specifically for interactive activities. We are evolving - we strolled in parks, approached people, asked questions, and received awards for it.”

Oleg is currently in 9th grade, and next year he plans to return to Odessa and enroll in the College of Culture, Cinematography, and Literature. His dream is to become a film director. His father instilled in him a love for cinema - they watched good films together since his childhood. 

"Life has not paused; it has changed. The previous chapter is over, and now life continues to bring something entirely different."

Read more stories within Life on Pause series here: https://moldova.unfpa.org/en/life-pause-story-human-resilience-and-adaptation

Oleg is 15, from Odessa, and has been living in Chisinau with his mom and younger brother for a year and a half. Like many children and teenagers, the war separated him from his father. Partly because of this, he has had to grow up very quickly: "In this year and a half, I have matured a lot. Before the war, I felt like a child-child, but when the war started, we moved here, and I somehow grew up too fast. I became a bit more serious, calmer, less sociable, and probably underwent intellectual changes.”

Oleg attends a Moldovan school with Russian language instruction. Despite understanding the language, it is not easy for him to adapt to school. Odessa and Chisinau are close and share many similarities, but according to Oleg, there are slight differences in mindsets, which makes it challenging for him to make new friends. Therefore, almost every day, he goes to the UNFPA-partner Millennium Youth Centre. This center has created a unique friendly atmosphere, welcoming both local teenagers as well as Ukrainians.

"For me, Millennium is like a second home. I go there all the time. Sitting at home is boring. We had different camps with various themes. My favorite was the Harry Potter-style camp. We had quests and interactive activities. This center focuses more on social development, and I go there specifically for interactive activities. We are evolving - we strolled in parks, approached people, asked questions, and received awards for it.”

Oleg is currently in 9th grade, and next year he plans to return to Odessa and enroll in the College of Culture, Cinematography, and Literature. His dream is to become a film director. His father instilled in him a love for cinema - they watched good films together since his childhood. 

"Life has not paused; it has changed. The previous chapter is over, and now life continues to bring something entirely different."

Read more stories within Life on Pause series here: https://moldova.unfpa.org/en/life-pause-story-human-resilience-and-adaptation

Oleg is 15, from Odessa, and has been living in Chisinau with his mom and younger brother for a year and a half. Like many children and teenagers, the war separated him from his father. Partly because of this, he has had to grow up very quickly: "In this year and a half, I have matured a lot. Before the war, I felt like a child-child, but when the war started, we moved here, and I somehow grew up too fast. I became a bit more serious, calmer, less sociable, and probably underwent intellectual changes.”

Oleg attends a Moldovan school with Russian language instruction. Despite understanding the language, it is not easy for him to adapt to school. Odessa and Chisinau are close and share many similarities, but according to Oleg, there are slight differences in mindsets, which makes it challenging for him to make new friends. Therefore, almost every day, he goes to the UNFPA-partner Millennium Youth Centre. This center has created a unique friendly atmosphere, welcoming both local teenagers as well as Ukrainians.

"For me, Millennium is like a second home. I go there all the time. Sitting at home is boring. We had different camps with various themes. My favorite was the Harry Potter-style camp. We had quests and interactive activities. This center focuses more on social development, and I go there specifically for interactive activities. We are evolving - we strolled in parks, approached people, asked questions, and received awards for it.”

Oleg is currently in 9th grade, and next year he plans to return to Odessa and enroll in the College of Culture, Cinematography, and Literature. His dream is to become a film director. His father instilled in him a love for cinema - they watched good films together since his childhood. 

"Life has not paused; it has changed. The previous chapter is over, and now life continues to bring something entirely different."

Read more stories within Life on Pause series here: https://moldova.unfpa.org/en/life-pause-story-human-resilience-and-adaptation