How integrating support systems heal displaced women in Ukraine from the wounds of war

Kyiv, Ukraine - Only five months ago Nataliia Savchenko fled with her daughter Dasha away from their war-torn home city of Kharkiv to Lviv. From the first day of the war, they stayed in Kharkiv, hiding in the subway, since there were no other shelters in the city at that time.

For the first few months, they attempted to return to their house from the metro station to take a shower and change clothes, but those short-distance trips were fraught with risk because they were frequently under fire.

“I vividly remember moments of panic: dropping the bags I was carrying to run after my daughter, who lagged behind, paralyzed with fear. Those memories still make my heart sink,” recalls Nataliia.

As the situation worsened and airplanes began flying over Kharkiv, they ended up living in the subway for almost two months, rarely stepping outside. It was psychologically grueling: the constant darkness, the cold, and the relentless shelling made many people sick.

Natalia somehow managed to hold on, but she could see Dasha was breaking down: “She was losing herself to fear and extreme anxiety, and it was heartbreaking. When things seemed relatively calm, I finally arranged for us to be evacuated. We moved in with my parents closer to Sumy just as spring began.”

There they found peace of mind only for a while. But six months later, Dasha started experiencing severe headaches as a result of stress. A neurologist advised specialized care, which required them to return to Kharkiv.

By this time, Nataliia and Dasha had somewhat adjusted to the ongoing explosions. When there were only one or two rocket attacks per week, they didn’t think much about it. But when it escalated to a daily ordeal, the active offensives resumed. Natalia realized they had to leave for a much longer and indefinite period of time.

At the end of May 2024, as fighting intensified near the city, terrified that they might get stuck in the crossfire as they had before, both packed up within half an hour and moved to Lviv.

“We chose Lviv simply because it was far from Kharkiv – far from the immediate dangers we had known,” Natalia says.

The first stop was free social housing, which, while offering decent conditions, lacked privacy and was unsuitable for long-term living. They discovered a free-of-charge social apartment, and they eventually moved there.

In this new city, where we knew no one, every request I made to the social apartment staff was met with comprehensive support. The staff helped me find a job, navigated the bureaucracy of our move, and completed all the necessary paperwork. It’s been a lifeline. 

“Here in Lviv, the attacks are less, and it’s easier on the nerves, but the trauma is still there, especially for my daughter,” explains the mother. While Nataliia adapted relatively quickly, Dasha struggled deeply with homesickness, often crying for her friends and the home she left behind.

“She’s a creative soul, driven by her emotions, so I try my best to soften her pain and make things easier for her.” In Lviv, they met psychologist Valentyna, who found a way to connect with Dasha like no one else had. Before this, Dasha had seen other specialists, but this was the first time Nataliia noticed a real change in her daughter. “She’s calmer now, her sleep is improving, and she looks forward to her sessions. It’s like light is slowly coming back into her life.”

The support Nataliia and Dasha received at the center where they are staying has been overwhelmingly helpful and timely. The social apartment is run by World Vision’s local partner, the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, and funded by Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH).

“We help people get out of different difficult situations. Some have lost their homes; others have suffered domestic violence. Here we are trying to create conditions to make the people that we serve as much at home as possible,” shares Oksana Lamush, manager of the social apartment.

“It is extremely rewarding to come and see their smiles, when children run to you with joy. It is so inspiring. You do realize that you are living in this world for a reason,” she adds.

“At first, it was surreal – people who weren’t our family were showing us so much care and concern. In this new city, where we knew no one, every request I made to the social apartment staff was met with comprehensive support. The staff helped me find a job, navigated the bureaucracy of our move, and completed all the necessary paperwork. It’s been a lifeline. Meanwhile, my daughter, who just turned 18, graduated from high school and has started college here,” explains Nataliia.

The World Vision-supported social apartment, or the Halfway House, helps women like Nataliia and her daughter rebuild their lives. They are offered safe temporary shelter, basic needs support, and comprehensive psychological, social, and legal services.

Natalia’s parents and sister are still living near Kharkiv, close to the Sumy region border, in the northeastern part of Ukraine. The situation there is dire. 

The ongoing war in Ukraine has inflicted violence and potential mental health issues on millions of children and their caregivers.

Family separation, destructions, disruptions to support networks of friends and relatives, and constant fear for the well-being of loved ones continue to be the main drivers of psychological distress, regardless of gender, age, location, and displacement status.

A study on mental health shows that women and children are among the groups with the lowest well-being scores. Specifically, groups with lower scores include women, people over 46 years old, people from the south and east of the country, and those lacking financial resources. Women, older adults, and children especially need mental health and psychosocial support services.

The greatest source of stress, noted by 70% of respondents, is uncertainty about the future and the difficulty of making plans. The second most common stressor, mentioned by 39% of respondents, is the concern for the safety of loved ones and friends in a civilian setting, while 26% (mostly women) mentioned the concern for family or friends serving in the armed forces.

World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has reached over 156,000 people with mental health services.

Through 154 child-friendly spaces, and learning hubs, children benefitted from an enhanced package of psychosocial activities that helped foster normalcy and prevent distress and suffering from developing into more severe conditions.

More than 6000 individuals were trained in Psychological First Aid and Protection issues including safeguarding, and over 117,000 people were supported through community-based mental health and psychosocial support activities.

Story by Anna Lukianenko, Communications Officer I Photos by Laurentia Jora, Communications Manager