The specialists of the Shchedryk Charitable Organisation heard the story of a 78-year-old woman whose life reflected the tragic changes that have befallen Ukraine. Half a century ago, Nina left her native Khmelnytskyi region, tempted by the prosperity of Mykolaiv, which seemed to her a symbol of progress.
When I came here, the village was full of life! There was enough work for everyone, the collective farm was powerful, the school was noisy with children’s voices. At 28, I became a milkmaid and spent 27 years working on the farm,’ Nina, a participant in the survey as part of the “Assistance to Frontline Households” project, recalls with nostalgia.
Today, her heart is burdened with the pain of irreparable loss. The year 2010 took her daughter, and the brutal full-scale invasion took her grandson, who left for Skadovsk and never returned home. Remembering her loved ones, 78-year-old Nina cannot hold back her tears, but her eyes still shine with unquenchable hope.
I dream of the day when peace finally reigns. When we forget the terrible word ‘de-occupation’. I want young people to be eager to return to our village again, just like I used to be. I want our agriculture to be revived thanks to organisations like Shchedryk and the UN World Food Programme,’ she shares her hopes.
However, the harsh reality of frontline life makes its own adjustments. When asked about the availability of work in the village, Nina answers bitterly: ‘There is no work here… no work at all. It is very difficult for people’. Young people have to look for temporary jobs in neighbouring settlements. Transport remains a problem, as getting to the hospital is a real challenge. Although there is an outpatient clinic in the village, its capacity may not be sufficient.
What about schools and kindergartens?’ our experts asked.
‘They are not working. Children study online, with the same teachers, but remotely. So, in short, it’s a sad picture, because the once prosperous village is now suffering from the consequences of war and lack of prospects. ‘The elderly live with memories of the past, and children are deprived of the joy of live communication,’ the woman says.
And yet, in Nina’s wise eyes, we see not only the pain of loss, but also an unshakable faith in a brighter future. Faith that peace will definitely return to their land, and the younger generation will fill it with life again. The belief that the words ‘development’ and ‘self-sufficiency’ will once again become a reality for their Barativka.
Leaving the frontline village, our specialists carry in their hearts not only the story of one woman, but also a reflection of the fate of many Ukrainians living on the frontline. Their stories are testament to the unbreakable spirit and inexhaustible hope that we have no right to forget. Their pain is our common pain, and their faith is our common strength.