Displaced in the midst of the war in Ukraine, Natalya’s courage and hope as a mother shine through

“I was always interested in the beauty business because it makes people smile”, Nataly, a mother of one says.

An opportunity opened for her when Dorcas Ukraine, with support from World Vision USA, launched the “Economic Resilience for Conflict-Affected Households in Zakarpattia” Project. She attended the hairdressing course to have a professional education from Colibri, an accredited hairdressing school in Uzhhorod.

In the process, Natalya is gaining valuable experience under the supervision of a qualified and experienced teacher. She hopes to find soon a job after her successful completion of the training.

Until 2014, Natalya lived a happy life with her husband in Avdiivka. When she was about to give birth, the war started in the eastern part of Ukraine. Stories about young women who hid in basements while having childbirth terrified Natalya.

She started to get distressed every day due to the missile attacks. Realising that she would not be able to live in such fear every day, Natalya and her husband took the last bus that left Avdiivka at that time.

Natalya and her husband moved to Kramatorsk where their son was born. At first, she thought that everything was fine. Her son often cried and trembled; all she did was hold him gently to keep him calm. She has no experience, but she did her best to nurture him.

But during her daily walks with him, she noticed that other children were more developed and calmer than her son. After consulting specialists, numerous examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, he was diagnosed with autism.

Natalya devoted her whole life to her son but always dreamed of working. When she read the support offer from Dorcas Ukraine, she decided that this was her chance to change something in her life.

Natalya began to research from specialised literature to be aware and accept the diagnosis. Her son attended various rehabilitation courses and therapeutic classes and learned to sit, talk, and be more active.

When the full-scale war broke out in 2022, Natalya and her family were still in Kramatorsk. Her fear returned and her son began to experience complications. The bombs that flew over the roof of the house made them decide it was necessary to flee again.

Natalya and her family took the evacuation train to Mukachevo, and her family again found themselves without friends and support. They tried to raise funds needed for her son's treatment. Her son is now able to go to school.

"Although he can't do everything other children do, I'm happy with every achievement," Natalya says. From the small salary her husband is receiving the family only can pay the rent of their apartment and expenses they need to make for their son’s health. Natalya doesn't have a job.

As Natalya says, she devoted her whole life to her son, but always dreamed of working. When she read the support offer from Dorcas Ukraine, she decided that this was her chance to change something in her life.

World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response was able to reach out to over 1.5 million people, over 753,000 are children through the support and implementation of partners on the ground including Dorcas Ukraine.

Story and photos from Dorcas Ukraine.