Ukraine
Olga
A bomb exploded 50 meters away from Olga. The blast wave threw her into the hay barn where she was going to tend her cow. One piece of shrapnel grazed her head without causing serious injury. Later, the woman found several other large pieces of shrapnel nearby. It was a miracle that Olga remained alive and almost unharmed. During the war, living in an active combat zone in the Zaporizhzhia region, Olga saw many terrible things: a neighbor whose leg was torn off, an explosion in a barn that killed three cows, at every turn she came across unexploded cluster bombs and many pieces of shrapnel. She can already tell the difference between explosions and knows how to know the next one is coming – but even that doesn’t always help her take cover in time. “I’m afraid to see my house destroyed,” the woman explains why she doesn’t want…
Anna and her Family
As a young girl, Anna studied at Kyiv University but always dreamed of living in her hometown of Kramatorsk. She shares, “I knew I would want to have my family in my hometown.” So, after I returned home, I started doing what I love the most – working as a manicurist. It was there that I met my future husband, Misha. We got married and started our family business – a salon where he worked as a masseur.” The couple had two children, Emilia and Yan, and were so happy! They had a special tradition on Saturdays. Anna would go with the kids to the pool, and then they would all go to their favorite pizza place where Misha would already be waiting for them with a huge smile and pizza on the table. However, their happy life changed in February 2023. Their hometown turned out to be close to…
Story of Sasha
Olga, 32, and her two daughters, Sasha (almost 3) and Nastia (17), lived in Mykolayiv, Ukraine. Like most families, they woke up to the war early on February 24, 2022. Olga, her daughters, her husband, and her parents saw the horrors of the war on the first day, as Mykolayiv basically became the frontlines. Russian tanks were close to the town a few days later. Olga’s parents are older people who both have disabilities, which made it impossible for them to evacuate. They needed special transportation for that, which was impossible to find. So, the decision was made for Olga’s husband to stay at home with the parents, and for Olga to leave with the girls. They made it to the evacuation bus that went to Poland. Four days later, they were in Krakow. Nastia was a huge help to her mother and little sister in Poland, as she had…
Story of Anastasia and Emilia
Yulia and her two daughters, 6-year-old Anastasia and 2-year-old Emilia, fled the war from the town of Boryspil just outside of Kyiv. Yulia’s family experienced all the horrors of war in the very first hours of the Russian terrorists’ attack. Russia’s first missiles were aimed at military bases and airports. The town of Boryspil, where Yulia lived with her husband and daughters, was home to Ukraine’s primary and largest airport. No wonder it was among the very first targets on February 24. From her window, Yulia, who lived in a high-rise apartment building, could see and hear the explosions around the airport. Horror and helplessness overwhelmed her. Yulia’s little daughters started to cry, covering their ears as the explosions could be heard very close to their house. A few days later, as the Russian occupation forces proceeded to take over more and more territory in the Kyiv region, Yulia’s husband…
Yulia from Lezhyne, Ukraine
Yulia is 32 and has cerebral palsy. She has lived in her home village of Lezhyne her entire life and has never been anywhere else. When Yulia was born, her mother, Natalia, was devastated and tried to get help for her daughter, but after learning there is no cure, she accepted Yulia’s disability and did her very best to care for her only daughter. When the war started in Ukraine, things became very challenging for this family. The Zaporizhzhia region where they lived was being shelled regularly. A few days ago, a missile hit close to Natalia’s home, and all the windows in their home were shattered. Another missile hit her neighbors’ house, leaving no survivors. Despite this ever-present danger, Natalia has just accepted this new reality, and continues to care for Yulia with no plans to evacuate. School Without Walls leaders trained by Mission Eurasia and their partner Vladimir…
Victor from Borodyanka
Borodyanka is one of the cities that the Russian troops came to “save” from peaceful lives, homes, loved ones, and life itself. Instead, the Russians left behind massive destruction and unbearable pain. Victor was one of those who suffered from that destruction. The most amazing part is that he and his entire family (five people) were able to leave the town at the very last moment, right before the Russians entered and occupied the town. Unfortunately, he couldn’t take his beloved dog with them, and it didn’t survive. Victor now shows others the ruins of his apartment that was completely destroyed. He shares that his family was so happy and enjoyed life so much there, but that now it is all gone. However, Victor is also very grateful that his whole family survived. He humbly received the Caring Hands package from Mission Eurasia that his family needed so much. They now don’t have…