“I did not know where to turn, but here I was supported and helped to take the first steps toward a safe life. Now I am recovering after childbirth, enjoying motherhood, and believing that everything will be all right,” shares Maryna (name changed for safety reasons).
She is a 34-year-old woman from Donetsk Region who was forced to leave her home settlement because of shelling. After moving to Kryvyi Rih, Maryna was looking for safety and stability. Instead, she found herself facing another danger: her partner systematically subjected her to psychological and physical violence, even during pregnancy.
During another incident, Maryna decided to seek help from the Resilience Center. There, she received initial support and was referred to the mobile team of NGO Girls. She was in a vulnerable situation: without a stable income or safe housing, with payments for internally displaced people as her only source of income.
The organization’s team — a psychologist, a social worker, and a case manager — acted in a coordinated way: they referred Maryna to partner organizations to receive clothing, footwear, and household items, provided consultations on available social services, and arranged cash assistance so that she could move away from the abuser and rent her own housing.
“Thanks to a comprehensive approach and intersectoral coordination, it was possible to ensure Maryna’s safety and help stabilize her life situation,” comments a specialist from NGO Girls.
Today, Maryna is living in safe conditions and feels more confident about the future.
Assistance is provided 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 cooperation with the international humanitarian organization CARE, with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
