“I have always been a fighter,” says Alina (name changed).
For Ana and Matei (names changed), her two children, she was everything. She was the mother who worried about what they would eat the next day, took them to school and to medical appointments, and went to work to provide them with the security they needed. For years, Alina tried to keep her family together and maintain peace at home.
In reality, family life was becoming increasingly difficult. Her husband frequently abused alcohol, and over time their relationship became marked by tension and psychological abuse. Alina tried to protect her children and preserve stability at home, hoping that things would eventually change.
“I always tried to make everything work. Looking back, I realize that perhaps I sacrificed not only myself, but also my children,” she says.
“I thought I was helping my children, but I failed to see how much they were suffering.”
Over time, Alina began to realize how deeply the situation at home was affecting her children. Ana increasingly avoided coming home, and after speaking with the school psychologist, Alina learned that her daughter was showing signs of self-harm. At the same time, she realized that Matei was also struggling, experiencing episodes of severe anxiety and distress.
For Alina, these warning signs changed the way she viewed the situation. It was no longer only about her own difficulties, but about the direct impact on her children. She came to understand that continuing to live in an environment marked by psychological abuse and excessive alcohol use was causing serious harm to their emotional well-being. That was the moment she decided that something had to change.
She learned about the Ophelia Center through the school psychologist, who encouraged her to seek help. There, she found not only information, but also people who guided her step by step through the divorce process. For the first time in a long while, Alina felt that she was no longer alone.
Together with the Centre’s lawyer, she presented the evidence she had carefully kept and received free legal assistance throughout the entire court process. This support was provided through a project funded by the Government of Denmark and implemented by UN Women Moldova in partnership with the Ophelia Centre.With this support, she understood every stage of the process and found the courage to move forward.
“It wasn’t just that a door opened – it felt as if gates opened before me. I realized that I could move forward and achieve more than I had ever believed possible…It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders,” she says.
At the same time, Alina describes that period as a difficult transition, saying that the relationship had become “a thorn that had to be removed.”
“I would leave for work, while his ‘job’ was the bar next door, where he spent his time drinking,” Alina recalls.
After the divorce was finalized and she permanently separated from her former husband, Alina remained in her own home with her children and began dedicating more time to herself and to rebuilding her relationship with them.
Step by step, Alina is regaining her peace of mind.
“Now my children and I are healing,” she says.
Her children feel safe in their own home, and the atmosphere within the family has become calmer and stable.
Today, Alina says she feels stronger and more confident as she rebuilds her life together with her children. The support she received was essential at a time when she most needed guidance, clarity, and someone to stand beside her.
Alina and her children are rebuilding their lives, but many women still do not know that there is a way out and that they do not have to face such situations alone.
In closing, Alina shares a message for other women facing similar circumstances:
“Don’t be afraid of what people might say, and believe in your own strength. With the right support, you can find a way forward. Today, women have the opportunity to protect themselves and their children.”
Free legal assistance, including legal consultations and court representation, is provided through the project “Advancing Women’s Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies,” funded by the Government of Denmark and implemented by UN Women Moldova in partnership with three organizations specializing in the protection of women’s rights, including the Ophelia Center.
Since the launch of the project, 23 beneficiaries of the Ophelia Center have received free legal assistance, including support with divorce proceedings, determining children’s place of residence, child support claims, and obtaining protection orders.
If you are experiencing violence, call the Ophelia Center’s Helpline at (+373) 79 12 00 12 or the National Helpline for Women and Girls at 0 8008 8008 to receive free and confidential information, counseling, and referrals to available support services. If you are in immediate danger, call 112.
