UNIQLO Continues to Spread Warmth in Moldova with "The Heart of LifeWear" Initiative

In Fall/Winter 2024, UNIQLO launched “The Heart of LifeWear” – an initiative to donate one million new items of HEATTECH and other clothing items to refugees, children, disaster victims, and other vulnerable people around the world. In 2025, we are continuing this initiative, with another donation of one million items globally.

On November 4, 2025, UNIQLO Europe’s fourth humanitarian visit to Moldova, in collaboration with longstanding partners Goods for Good, Hope4 on the ground, and global partner UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Through its Heart of LifeWear initiative, UNIQLO has donated a total of 20,000 HEATTECH items to Moldova over two consecutive years.

Moldova is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe and ahead of the cold winter months, Chris Lomas, CEO and founder of Hope4, explained just how dire the situation is:
“There is an urgent need for aid in Moldova, especially during the harsh winter months, where poverty rates in rural areas rise to nearly 50%. More than 600,000 children are affected by poverty, and tens of thousands grow up with one or both parents working abroad. Moldova is also one of the countries with the highest percentage of refugees relative to its population. We are profoundly grateful for UNIQLO’s unwavering and consistent support, returning year after year, bringing warmth and smiles to families across the country.”

Recognizing the situation, UNIQLO Europe delivered 10,000 HEATTECH items in 2024 through the "The Heart of LifeWear" initiative to bring essential warmth and comfort to refugees and local families. This year, in addition to another donation of 10,000 HEATTECH items, UNIQLO also donated a delivery van, strengthening the capacity to deliver humanitarian aid throughout Moldova and enabling support to reach more remote areas.

Reflecting on the visit and the donation of the van, Rosalind Bluestone MBE, CEO and founder, Goods For Good said: “Since I started visiting and working in Moldova back in 2005, I was personally deeply moved by the abject poverty. The community is warm, welcoming, and immensely grateful for everything they receive. Now, with more help needed, due to the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees, the lifeline of essentials Goods For Good delivers is critical. This visit we witnessed desperation. The new van is more than a vehicle, it’s a vehicle of hope, and will ensure that clothing and vital goods reach families, pensioners, and displaced people across the country, even in the most remote villages.”

Throughout the three-day mission, the UNIQLO team handed out thousands of clothing items and engaged directly with local communities. They visited a warehouse for clothing distribution, a local school, individual families, and an orphanage in Chisinau and its surroundings. These visits included heartwarming interactions, such as the youth sharing their wishes for the future on paper hearts. Amongst the hearts one could read “Peace” and “a job after finishing school”, things these youth can only dream of which we take for granted in other parts of Europe. The children learned how to fold origami hearts, an activity that transcends language barriers and brings joy even on the gloomiest day.

HEATTECH was distributed at an after-school soccer team in Tiganesti, where the boys enjoyed changing into HEATTECH for their soccer game in the brisk air on the outdoor field. The children in Tiganesti come from low-income families in a rural region of Moldova, where winters are harsh and temperatures can fall as low as -15°C. With no access to indoor sports facilities, they continue training outdoors throughout the winter. HEATTECH provides essential warmth, helping them stay healthy, active, and engaged in sport despite the extreme cold.

Some of the families were touched to see returning friendly faces of UNIQLO colleagues, exchanging hugs and updates between each other. Maria Le Dous, Head of Sustainability at UNIQLO Europe said: “Some girls told me “We are so happy you came back, not forgetting about us”. Seeing a familiar face gives them confidence and consistency. For a moment, they forget their circumstances, we sing together, we laugh. And in that moment, you understand that there is hope“.

The initiative underscores UNIQLO’s ongoing mission of humanitarian support, reaffirming the brand's belief in the transformative power of LifeWear to enhance lives, restore dignity, and instill lasting hope within vulnerable communities.


About The Heart of LifeWear
The Heart of LifeWear initiative was launched in 2024 with UNIQLO considering the question “What makes life better?” and asking how, in its 40th anniversary year, the brand could take further concrete action to contribute to society through LifeWear.

During this season’s The Heart of LifeWear initiative, in 2024, UNIQLO donated 500,000 items of HEATTECH to returnees in Syria at the request of UNHCR, with which it has a global partnership. In addition, UNIQLO donation projects around the world provided more than 500,000 items of clothing to people in need, including disaster victims, homeless people, and other socially disadvantaged people.