How World Vision's cash program gave hope to a family of twelve in western Ukraine

In the cramped kitchen, Victoriya moves a pot of mashed potatoes, smooth and buttery, as steam rises around her. The scent of meatballs permeates the air. She moves quickly, setting out twelve white plates on the small, round table, adding a bowl filled with pickles. Lunch should be ready soon.

Outside the brick-colored house, Vasily feeds the cattle, piglets and the few chickens clucking and pecking in the back yard. He spreads grain, his boots crunching on the packed dirt. Livestock is their only lifeline these days.

Vasily and Victoriya share twelve years of marriage and are raising ten children together. Their eldest son is 13, and their youngest daughter, Tanechka, is only six months old.

Their house is made of wood. Its color has faded to a soft, eroded red. Built by Vasily’s grandparents, the dwelling has hosted three generations. As you walk around the cramped kitchen and the three small rooms, the wooden floorboards creak underfoot. The shingles have worn smooth over time. The purple shaded walls, covered in floral paper and heavy carpets, are faded – light blues and pinks dulled by years of sun and smoke.

Mountains rise around the house, dark green and dense, stretching into the distance. The air is fresh, filled with the scent of pine, earth and organic waste. The family of twelve lived in the small village all their lives. 

Nestled in the Carpathians mountains, western Ukraine, Synevyr is a mountain village several kilometers in length, being home to around 6800 people. Like Vasily and Victoriya, most families in this area have limited employment opportunities. Jobs are largely seasonal, with locals selling wood, harvesting mushrooms, or working in hotels to support tourism. However, due to the war, even the few tourists who used to visit now come in far smaller numbers.

“The government supports 87 per cent of Synevyr’s residents. There are 98 families receiving state aid, meaning one in six people is in need of assistance. We also have a big number of large families,” explains Ivan Chub, Head of the Synevyr hromada (a hromada is a type of administrative community; it can be urban, rural, or a settlement).

“We are a mountainous region with no local businesses. We have poor communication, no transit zone, no railroad, no bus service – it’s essentially a dead-end community. It’s not profitable for anyone to establish a public route here,” he continues. 

“People have adapted, making money in whatever way they can, such as picking mushrooms during the seasons. In the summer, for example, people stock up on firewood because there’s no income at all in winter,” adds Chub. 

There is also a lack of gas in the region, which makes winters extremely difficult for residents. According to local authorities, the village currently hosts approximately 2000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, health care facilities and schools do not have the capacity to accommodate everyone. 

“Prior to the war, my husband went abroad for job opportunities, primarily in construction. When the war began, he was overseas but returned immediately. He cannot leave the country, knowing there’s a war,” explains Victoriya. “There’s still so much uncertainty about the conflict. No one knows what might happen or how it will escalate,” she adds with unease, as she calls her family to gather for lunch.

Outside, lively chatter echoes across the yard as children dart and dash. Daryna, 7, tosses a worn soccer ball at her older brother Roman. It thuds on the ground before bouncing back to her feet. She starts giggling livelily, as her brother chases after it. “I love soccer. Just yesterday, I brought my mom a medal from a competition,” shares Roman, 12, proudly. 

Mykola, only five, stands curiously near the chicken coop. He holds a small white bowl with one hand, reaching in carefully with the other, his fingers curling around the smooth eggs. He glows with pride as he places them one by one in the basket.

Across the yard, two of the little girls have set up a picnic, placing a red blanket on the raw green grass. A few plastic cups are tossed around randomly. Three-year-old Vaselinka walks slowly toward her two sisters, moving steadily. She suffers from anisomelia or leg length discrepancy, a condition where one leg is shorter than the other, making movement difficult. 

Surgery to correct the condition, such as limb-lengthening procedures, can cost from 4,800 USD to over 6,000 USD in Ukraine, depending on the case complexity. Post-surgical rehabilitation and physical therapy are also required, and these treatments would increase the total cost. The family currently relies on social help, with a monthly income of roughly 270 USD.

“My husband tries to find day jobs in the village, but since we’re in a remote area, there’s not much work available,” shares Victoriya. “We also receive a small but crucial allowance from the state for each child under six, as well as a pension for our daughter, Vaselinka,” she adds. 

Victoriya calls out from the kitchen. Her voice is strong and cuts through the yard. It’s time for lunch, and children gather their belongings, running hastily towards the little brown porch of the house. 

“Food prices have risen a lot,” says Vasily. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), by 2025, around 15% of Ukraine’s population will be food insecure, with frontline regions being the most severely impacted.

“When my husband used to return from abroad after the labor season, we had enough money for food and some repairs until the next season. Now, we no longer have that option”, explains Viktoryia.

The family is part of World Vision’s cash assistance program, funded by Aktion Deutschland Hilft, and run by Unity for the Future, a local partner. With the financial support received, they were able to buy a new oven, doors for their house, and two piglets. The project aims to provide multi-purpose cash aid to over 2300 people and cash to over 700 during the winter season, with a focus on internally displaced families and households in need throughout Ukraine.

“We bought two piglets with part of the money we received from World Vision. The support was lifesaving,” shares Vasily gratefully. He continues, “During summer and fall, we prepare for winter so the family will have enough to eat. It’s very difficult – from food, medication, and other basic needs. We need at least five loaves of bread each day.”

Viktoryia and Vasily continue to run their small household with some cattle, and chickens to provide for their family. The small garden at the back of the house has a few sorts of veggies. They collect, prepare and preserve them during the summer so that in the winter, these pickles and jarred salads can be served as a main dish.

Every morning, as the clock strikes at 5 am, the two are up and get right to work. “My husband handles most of the outdoor household chores, and I focus on cooking, cleaning, ironing, and so on. The day goes by quickly, especially with the kids,” says Viktoryia.

Five of their children attend school, while the younger ones, the toddlers, remain at home. “We want our children to get an education and eventually move to the city,” she says. “Life in the village is too hard.”

The war in Ukraine has shattered the lives of over 4 million IDPs, forcing them to flee the frontlines. But the effects of a conflict of this magnitude reach far beyond the battle zones. Every Ukrainian family, even those thousands of kilometers from the eastern hotspots, feels the strain. Sky-rocketing food prices, limited access to medicine, healthcare, and education and shrinking job opportunities have made it a daily struggle for many to sustain their livelihoods. Cash assistance programs and humanitarian aid have become a vital lifeline for millions of families, including those like Viktorya’s and Vasily’s.

Since the start of the war, World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has reached more than a half million people with cash assistance. 

 Story by Laurentia Jora, UCR Advocacy & Communications Manager