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Keystone Moldova English and Keystone Moldova Romanian
Keystone Human Services (KHS) is a non-profit organization that is a part of a global movement to provide support and expertise to people with disabilities.
Keystone Human Services has been providing support for refugees from Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. We stepped forward to help, and although we are not a humanitarian organization, we are committed to being a good neighbor and creating more accessible communities for everyone.
As the war drags on, it is not only affecting everyone who has been displaced, but also Moldovans as they open their homes and stretch resources to welcome and accommodate people from Ukraine, whether they’re passing through or settling for the long-term to stay close to their homes.
Keystone Moldova has been a trusted NGO in the Republic of Moldova for 20 years, working to make sure people with disability are included in every part of society. We know crises like this have long-term impacts. We’re leading the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Disability Task Force to ensure people with disability are included in policies related to emergency situations. We’re lending our expertise in inclusive practice as Moldova builds inclusive infrastructure and social services that account for the needs of both refugees with disabilities and Moldovans who have been affected by the war. People will need support as they build their resilience and look to the future.
We’re looking to people’s immediate needs today, tomorrow, next week—food, fuel, accessible shelter, other supplies. We’re also looking to what people will need in the years to come as they rebuild their lives.
100% of your donation will go to Keystone Moldova for providing food, shelter, and other supplies, as well as long-term needs like support services.
Your donation makes an impact. We’re supporting people from Ukraine with disabilities in official refugee shelters, as well as those hosted by families and other shelters at both a national and regional level. We are also providing support for host families and Moldovans with disability who have been affected by the war. You can help make sure people with disabilities are included in disaster relief efforts. Below are some of the ways we are supporting people during this crisis and how your donation helps:
Natalia and her family came to Moldova from Ukraine during the war. She found medical support from Keystone Moldova for her son and father, who have disabilities.
After she left her home in Ukraine during the war, Lidia received hygienic supplies, food, and urgent need medicines through Keystone Moldova.
During a crisis, people with disability—especially women with disability—are at risk of abandonment, violence, and death. They are often cut off from information, resources, and their community. Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities speaks to countries’ responsibilities to ensure the protection and safety of people with disability during armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and natural disasters, among other crises.
Keystone Moldova is making sure that people with disability are included in every conversation. As leaders of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Disability Task Force, we’re advocating for inclusive relief efforts and policies so people with disability are not left behind. We’re mapping the needs of refugees with disabilities within shelters and homes throughout Moldova and streamlining the way human service NGOs provide support for people with disability.
Keystone Moldova is a leader in the national task force with the UN Human Rights Office in Moldova to address the needs of refugees with disabilities. Representatives from national and international NGOs, central public authorities, and donors are working together to coordinate services and supports.
We are mapping people’s needs and making information accessible for people with disabilities, as well as making sure people have access to food, assistive equipment, accessible transportation, medical care, and medications. We’re working to make sure refugees with disabilities can access the community-based services they need.
Keystone Moldova promotes inclusion for people with disability, emphasizing full participation in the community. Our expertise lies in deinstitutionalization, sustainable community-based services and systems design, inclusive policy development, and inclusive education. We take a rights-based approach to ensure that people with disability are included in all parts of society. Keystone Moldova partners with national and local governments and advocates to reform and develop the framework for the social protection system and community-based services, and we have consulted with countries and NGOs around the world.
Visit KeystoneMoldova.md to learn more.
