Tetiana was 25 years old when the escalation of the war began in February 2022. After her town was occupied, she survived conflict-related sexual violence. Her home became the most dangerous place in the world for her. In an effort to overcome her fear, she managed to leave the occupied territories and sought psychological support at the Survivor Relief Centre. We are telling Tetiana's story on her behalf.
One day, they did it…. How exactly—I don't remember...I only remember that they wanted to kill me afterward, but why they didn't – that's erased from my memory.
When the city was liberated, I gathered some belongings and left. I didn't think for a second, I just wanted to be anywhere, as long as it was far away from there. I told my husband where I was only after I found a place for myself. But I didn't tell him what had happened to me. I was afraid he might decide to seek revenge and end up dying himself.
I will never return home. Home has become the most dangerous place in the world for me. And what's next? I don't know. So far, I have neither a past nor a future.
All I want is to stop being afraid. It was for this reason I went to the Survivor Relief Center to see a psychologist. Little by little I began to speak. Not about the past - I don't remember it, and not about the future - I haven't seen it. But about the present and my feelings about it. It was a pleasure to be greeted by the girls at the center who were kind and understanding.
They provided me with all the necessary information and assistance, which was very much needed in the new place. I felt I was not alone.
As soon as I was offered a psychological consultation, I accepted it without hesitation, knowing that I couldn't cope alone. I was constantly plagued by anxiety, which I dealt with with the help of the psychologist.
In addition to the sessions with the psychologist, I took advantage of an invitation to a career hub, where I learned a new craft. Now, I am working and assisting people who are also in difficult circumstances due to the war, while eagerly awaiting the return of my loved one. To everyone who has gone through what I have, I want to say – you are not alone in this. Seek help, it truly matters.
Survivor Relief Centres were started on the initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, assistance of the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Survivor Relief Centres operate thanks to financial support from the government of Sweden channeled via UNFPA's Humanitarian Thematic Fund, as well as the governments of Belgium and France.
