Three years have passed since the war in Ukraine drove Olha and her family from their hometown in Chernihiv to Lviv. A lot has changed since then. Like more than 3.6 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, Olha has had rebuild her life from scratch, starting afresh in a city which she previously had no connection to.
When they arrived in Lviv in March 2022, they could not imagine how much they would come to love the city. "All winter we lived without a refrigerator, storing food on the balcony. I dreamed of returning home where everything was thought out to the last detail."
Now, Olha does not even know if she will return to Chernihiv. "The proximity to the border and the constant air raids there still scare me, despite the fact that the territory is free from occupation. Here, my daughter attends school in person, and I feel that I am developing and realising my ambitions more than ever before. I am redefining myself and I can no longer afford to postpone life.’’
Women Lead in Emergencies in Ukraine
Olha is part of CARE’s Women Lead in Emergencies project in Ukraine, which has been running since the current conflict started in 2022. Women Lead in Emergencies shifts power and resources directly to women in communities affected by crisis and supports them to participate in humanitarian decision-making. It does not prescribe what ‘success’ looks like, but rather asks members of each Women Lead group to define what they want to see from the programme. This means women can choose to focus on what matters most to them, whether this is setting up a small business, working with their partners to address gender-based violence, or advocating directly with authorities for improved access to humanitarian services.
As part of the Women Lead in Emergencies activities in Ukraine, CARE and partner the Centre for Women’s Perspectives launched the School of Civic Engagement. The School brought Women Lead in Emergencies members together to learn more about the history of the women’s movement in Ukraine and worldwide; the impact of gender norms on women in Ukraine; and reflections on challenges in their hometowns. It also worked with women to develop leadership skills, self-confidence and the knowledge that they can overcome the challenges in their path.
The solidarity and support Olha has gained through the school, and Women Lead in Emergencies more broadly, has led to a shift in attitude:
I began to look at women differently, saw all the difficulties they overcame and which they helped me to overcome. I realised how important women's solidarity is and began to feel this sisterhood at every step." - Olha
Finding the confidence to reach for new heights
It has also led to a shift in attitude around Olha's own capabilities. The confidence she developed through the school, as well as other Women Lead in Emergencies activities, has helped her to develop the self-belief to apply for an internship at the Lviv Regional Department of Culture, where she helps to organise events. She’s now been working there for a year, and says she dreams of "sharing with every woman this newly discovered confidence, as well as the need and right to take care of themselves."
Sometimes Olha misses the Chernihiv forests where she could spend hours walking and talking to friends about each tree. "It is my personal tragedy to think that I will never return there because these areas are heavily mined, and it will take years to clear them." But in spite of this, she finds the strength to keep going. As she says: "life is happening right now. We need to live, no matter how hard it is," says Olha.
Ukraine: How you can help
More than 6 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine, leaving behind jobs, belongings and loved ones. CARE and our partners are providing aid in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Germany and Georgia.
We are especially concerned about the safety of women and girls, who are particularly at risk in an active conflict situation like this, including from violence and sexual exploitation.
Your donation could help us to provide:
- Cash assistance
- Emergency food
- Safe water and sanitation
- Health services
- Accommodation
- Education
