After the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, the Republic of Moldova received hundreds of thousands of refugees. Many of them crossed the border, leaving behind all their possessions.
In collaboration with UEFA, the UEFA Foundation and UNICEF, the Moldovan football community has come together to offer help, support and opportunities.
The FMF offered its national team training center in Vadul lui Vodă and the futsal arena in Ciorescu as accommodation for families, providing equipment and supplies, as well as organizing a wide variety of football activities for children.
In total, FMF is estimated to have directly helped more than 10,000 refugee children in the past year, despite previously having no budget allocated for such actions. Many children are now integrated into schools and sports clubs in the Republic of Moldova, as they look for a brighter future.
In addition to support at home, FMF also sent supplies to Ukraine for people who remained in the country, including three trucks, two filled with medicine and food and another with sports equipment and kits, which enabled special sports events for 3,000 children.
About the UEFA Grassroots Awards
The UEFA Grassroots Awards recognized outstanding contributions and achievements in grassroots football since 2010. Focusing on football outside the elite game, the awards shine a spotlight on some of the unsung heroes and inspiring initiatives that make football a vital part of communities from all over Europe.
Candidates are nominated by national football associations in Europe and award winners are selected by UEFA’s Development and Technical Assistance Committee following recommendations made by the organisation’s Core Panel. This year, the Panel decided to recognize Moldova’s outstanding humanitarian effort in an emergency situation with the Special Award, which it considered did not fit directly into one of the other five categories.
<
p class=”mb-8 px-6 md:px-0 font-bitter text-s17-l170 md:text-s18-l170 text-c121212″>The FMF also states that last year the Moldovan Football Federation became one of the five winners of the UEFA Grassroots 2021/22 awards. The football forum triumphed in the “Best participation initiative” category through the social-sports project Football in Schools.
