Karyna is a mother of two five-year-old boys, Petro and Oleksii. Both sons were born through IVF, and they became a real miracle for the woman. However, the joy of motherhood was overshadowed by difficult circumstances. Karyna lived in a toxic relationship for many years. She was constantly humiliated, morally devalued, and deprived of her faith in herself. In the end, she found herself in a critical situation - without a job, without family support, with an abusive husband, and thoughts of suicide.
Karyna's strength was based on her love for her children. It was for their sake that she found the courage to seek help. She frankly told a social worker from the NGO Girls about her life, pain, and despair. That was the first step towards change.
First, within the framework of 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 collaboration with the international humanitarian organization CARE, with the support of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, the NGO Girls’ case manager conducted an individual assessment of the family's needs. Thanks to our specialists’ referrals to specialized organizations, Karyna received individual psychological and legal support, as well as financial assistance to meet her priority needs for security and stability, and underwent a medical examination at the humanitarian organization “Médecins Sans Frontières”. After several meetings with a psychologist, her condition stabilized significantly. For the first time in a long while, Karyna felt hope. She had a desire to learn to drive a car as a symbol of her new freedom.
Today, Karyna is different. She works online for several hours a day, and her sons attend a kindergarten. Now, she has time for herself, for recovery and development. Karyna has already enrolled in a driving course and is actively involved in the community.
“I didn't believe I could start from scratch. But now I see myself as strong, independent, and able to take care of myself and my children. I'm ready to make my way to freedom from the addiction I was driven into by my husband, who kept telling me that I couldn't do anything without him because I had small children,” says Karyna.
This story shows that even in the darkest moments, there is a way to light. Her example inspires other women not to give up, because recovery is possible. And it starts with trust and support.
