Across from Ms. Olga’s yard, under an old tree, a “Grad” rocket—a rusty piece of metal from a shell—lies embedded in the ground, a reminder that the war is still here, right nearby. But today, instead of the whistling of shells, the sound of a loader echoes through this yard. The charity organization “Shchedryk” has brought aid that was eagerly awaited here.
Illustrative photo (taken from the internet).
Olga lives alone, but she is not alone in her time of need. As soon as our car pulled up, her neighbor Dmitry rushed to help. Despite having been disabled since childhood, he is the main source of support for his “Aunt Olya.” Dmytro efficiently directed the process: he clearly showed where to park and where it would be best to stack the firewood.
Our specialists asked Olga, “How are you doing here?”—and the memories poured out. She told us how the neighbors would gather in one house during the shelling, because it wasn’t so scary together. How later, after the lull, they would walk around the yard, counting the new “impact craters.” But the greatest pain and, at the same time, light in her words came when the conversation turned to her son.
“I prayed for him every day while he was at the front. And he came back. With a concussion, exhausted, but alive,” the woman recalls.
Her son came to his home village for just three days. Everyone came to their house: the neighbors thanked the soldier for his service, while Olga quietly wiped away her tears. “Mom, don’t cry. My arms and legs are intact. I’m back!”—these words of her son still ring in her ears, giving her the strength to breathe (she has to use an inhaler every time).
Her son invited his mother to come to him in Mykolaiv, worried about how she would cope with the cold. But Mrs. Olga is steadfast:
“Where would I go? My son’s apartment has seven people living there. But this is my home. I have two dogs and two cats. Even though I can’t run a household anymore because of my health, we’re retirees, and we’re getting by—though it’s hard, of course.”
Now that spring is here, we are proud to say that, together with you, we helped Ms. Olga and hundreds of families like hers stay warm this winter. The firewood delivered by “Shchedryk” in partnership with the Estonian Refugee Council (ERC) and with financial support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) became that lifeline that kept homes warm during the harshest frosts.
Olga takes another puff from her inhaler and wipes her eyes with a weary but sincere gesture: “It’s just because I’m so emotional. Thank you, everyone! May there be goodness in every home, and may our boys return home victorious.”
“At the ‘Shchedryk’ Charitable Organization, we know that aid isn’t just about cubic meters of firewood or food packages. It’s about giving people the confidence that they haven’t been left to face the war alone. Spring has arrived, but our fellow countrymen still need support to rebuild their lives in their homeland,” said project manager Vitaliy Kuznetsov.
Together for Victory! May everyone return home!