"The children left, and I had to live through this nightmare alone"

It so happened that almost before the war, I buried my husband. I was left alone with two children. It was very difficult to educate and raise them myself. And how the war broke out– it's just terrible to remember! The three of us have been through a lot.

All the young people from the village began to leave for good in search of another life. My children also left in 2015. I  had to live through this nightmare alone, but I had to find the strength to survive and, if possible, help the children both financially and psychologically.

We had our moments of despair and panic like everyone else. I often had questions in my head, "How should we live further? What will happen next?

Frequent attacks and destroyed neighboring houses are our reality. Surely, a person gets used to everything in course of time. The feeling of fear gets dulled, and you begin to react more calmly to shots in the distance. Household chores, housekeeping, communication with friends and relatives distract your mind from all the bad things.

Thank you very much to the charitable foundations, including yours. We, the villagers, received huge support represented by food, clothes, and detergents. Charitable organizations have not left us, the residents of the "grey area" in trouble all these years up to the present day. They constantly offer their help, organize various programs to support people like us.

At the beginning of 2015, we had an idea to leave everything behind. After all, no one was actually waiting for us anywhere. We made a final decision to stay at home, on our own land. We just couldn't leave everything we worked so hard to get over a lifetime. No one has repealed looting, after all.

I was very happy that many young families started to return to their native village, giving birth to children against the odds. It was very difficult financially, but we tried to hold on. Everyone hopes that everything will get better in the future. We must believe for the better and wait!

None of us could have imagined even in our worst dreams that such a disaster would come to us and last for so many years. Nevertheless, we must endure and survive this ordeal. Then I thought that everything would be fine. But it will be impossible to erase all the pain and fear from the memory. All this horror will remain in our hearts.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. You are really doing the right thing, helping the most vulnerable segments of the population, and you regularly provide assistance to all villages and hamlets  throughout the war.  You try to help everyone who requires help. Thank you all very much for your courage, because many people are afraid to come here. Thank you for your kindness and responsiveness.

God bless the entire staff of the Foundation. We really appreciate your endurance and support.

I wish the same to all residents who find themselves in a very difficult life situation.