Raisa is an internally displaced woman from the Toretsk community in Donetsk Oblast. In June 2024, she was forced to leave her home due to active hostilities and the threat to her life posed by shelling. During the evacuation, the woman was under constant stress, feeling uncertainty and fear for her own life and the life of her adult son with a disability.
The move to Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, was forced and had no clear plan. The only reference point was relatives who could provide temporary support. During the first months of her life in a new place, Raisa went through a difficult period of adaptation. Her emotional state worsened due to additional life challenges.
The apartment they rented was sold by the owners, and the family had to look for housing again. In an unfamiliar city, with limited social contacts and constant uncertainty, that process became a significant stress factor for the woman, leading to an increased level of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and depressive experiences.
Raisa genuinely cares about her loved ones and feels a deep sense of responsibility for them. This is a source of meaning and inner motivation in her life. At the same time, constant stress and the need to constantly care for others while adapting to a new place led to emotional exhaustion. At the time of seeking support, the woman showed signs of chronic stress, including an increased level of anxiety, emotional vulnerability, and a reduced sense of security.
After turning to the Social Support Center for Internally Displaced Persons and receiving support from civil society organizations that conducted art therapy sessions and meetings of the psychological support groups, Raisa slowly began to recover emotionally. She opened up to communication and learned to share her experiences, which was an important step in overcoming isolation and depression.
In September 2025, after joining the regular meetings held by the NGO Girls, Raisa shared that she really enjoyed participating in them. She actively joined in discussions, willingly communicated with other participants, and shared her own experiences and feelings. According to the woman and the observations of specialists, participation in the meetings has a very positive effect on her, helping to stabilize her emotional state and restore her inner resources.
The woman enjoys painting, knitting, writing poems, which she shares with the group, and bringing in items she has knitted herself. Creativity is an important way for her to express herself, release emotions, and support herself. Raisa's positive thinking, life wisdom, and inner strength inspire other group members and contribute to the formation of a supportive and resourceful atmosphere.
Today, Raisa remains in a vulnerable state, but she is also gradually regaining her inner balance, her ability to accept help, and her sense of belonging to the community. Regular participation in psychosocial activities helped the woman replenish her own resources, better cope with stress, and restore social contacts.
Her story demonstrates how systematic support contributes to the adaptation and increased resilience of internally displaced persons.
The assistance is provided within the project “Strengthening Access and Service Provision for SRH Support and GBV Prevention among Conflict-Affected Women and Girls in Eastern and Southern Ukraine” in cooperation with the international humanitarian organization CARE, with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
