I dream of the war being over

Natalia is from Ukraine, from the city of Dnipro. She leaves for Bulgaria not before September, because she hoped to the very last moment that the war would end. There is a military building near her home, and when the bombings became more frequent, she decided to leave the country with her two children. Her son is 7 years old and her daughter is 17. Her husband stays there. The company where he works closes.

The first obstacle in coming here is finding a place to live. “We couldn’t afford a hotel, and for the rental accommodation they wanted to sign a contract with a deposit.”

From social networks, she finds out about Caritas Sofia and that here she can seek the support and information she needs. Caritas associates assist with consultations, translation and complex support. They help the family to find an apartment through the Airbnb.org program and with financial assistance, which is an indispensable help for the family until Natalya can find a job. Her daughter enrolled in a university and applied for a student dormitory. Natalia is looking for a job from the first moment, as well as a long-term accommodation solution.

“I am grateful for the support of Caritas Sofia. I wish success and development and will recommend the organization to other people in need.”

The mother and the children feel good in Bulgaria. They really like the nature and the people they meet. And even though they don’t always understand their native language, people help them.

Natalya says that before the war they lived peacefully in Ukraine. She had a job, an apartment, the children led a normal life. “Life before the war was very good. We had everything. I dream of the war being over and returning to my home and relatives.“