Ukrainian mother and daughter's journey of love, displacement, loss in the midst of war

“At night, missiles flew past our house. When my daughter said "Mom, I'm scared," I understood that we needed to be taken out of this place," Katerina says.   

Katerina helps her 10-year-old daughter Khristina prepare her tasks for her remote school classes in the common dining room of Dnipro’s dormitory. The mother and her two children have lived in this small room since 2022 when they were forced to leave their own home in Nikopol.

Nikopol, a city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, south-central Ukraine, is located on the front line. Nearly 50% of its inhabitants have left the city due to continued shelling for the past two years.

During the shelling nightmares, the family was not able to hide in the basement because it was too far away from their home. They simply didn't have enough time to reach a safe place.

"It started banging for several minutes, sometimes even hours, before the alarm went off,” recalls the woman.

Tired of living in constant fear for the safety of her two small children, Katerina packed the most essential things, and drove to Dnipro city.

Since the start of the war, Dnipro has hosted nearly 200,000 internally displaced Ukrainians from all regions.   

Katerina found a place to stay in one of the collective centers of the NGO “Pomogaem”, World Vision's local partner. This initiative is currently supported by Aktion Deutschland Hilft.

I started appreciating life more. Previously, it appeared to be a daily chore - surviving another day, getting the children to school - but now I realize there's more to life than the war we're facing.

She lives with her children in a tiny room sharing a common kitchen with other people in need, including internally displaced, the elderly, people with special needs, and orphans.

Katerina considers all of these individuals connected by the same struggle – the war – as family members who help and encourage one another.

The collective center has brought Katerina's family comfort, calm, and hope.

“I started appreciating life more. Previously, it appeared to be a daily chore - surviving another day, getting the children to school - but now I realize there's more to life than the war we're facing," Katerina says.

Ten-year-old Kristina attends her school classes online, and the youngest, 4-year-old Timur, spends his time playing with his mother. Kindergartens are currently closed in the area they live in.

Children are growing used to sleeping comfortably at night now that they are far away from their hometown, although the eldest daughter is still afraid of missile attacks that occur in Dnipro.

Before going to bed, Kristina puts her shoes in a prominent place, preparing a warm robe or a blanket for herself. "Mom, if we are bombed, I have everything prepared," Kristina tells her mother every night.

The father of the children, Katerina’s husband, is serving on the frontline now.

Being on her own, the woman immensely appreciates the assistance provided by World Vision's partner for their living: beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, towels, rechargeable lamps, charging station, generator, washing machine, and hygiene kits.

“This help is essential for us. Now we have everything we need: a roof over our heads, food, and each other,” concludes Katerina.

To date, World Vision has reached more than 1 million people in Ukraine, including internally displaced, children, and women, with basic needs, protection, education, mental health, cash assistance, shelter, and livelihood programs.

Story and photos by Tetiana Dolhiier, Communications Officer