New life for Ukrainian women in Poland thanks to PCPM
Zoja is one of many people helped by the PCPM Foundation. She lived in a dormitory for more than two years. “Thanks to PCPM, I am back on my feet. Even though I was working all the time, I didn’t have the opportunity to move out of the dorm with Sofia. Our comfort has greatly improved, and we have a better life.”
From alarm sirens to a new life in Bialystok. The war in Ukraine, which broke out in February 2022, has triggered the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. Russian aggression has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad.
Białystok, a city in eastern Poland, became a refuge for thousands of Ukrainians after the war. The stories of Natalia, Olha, and Zoya are among many that intertwine in this city. These three women, fleeing the war, found temporary refuge in a collective housing center. However, what was supposed to be temporary lasted more than two years. Today, with the support of the Polish Center for International Aid, they are building their new lives in Poland.
A difficult road
Natalia was a director at an insurance company for 15 years. After the Russian aggression, she had to flee with her son Mykhail. She lived in Kachovka in the Kherson region, which has been under occupation almost since the beginning of the war.
“Terrible things are happening in Kachovka,” says Natalia. “My husband managed to leave, going through Crimea, Russia, Latvia, Berlin, and finally to me to Białystok,” she adds. Natalia’s husband had to flee at the earliest opportunity because the Russians were forcibly conscripting men from the occupied territories to fight against Ukraine.
“I know many such people. Some, as soon as they can, run away and surrender, but many also unfortunately died,” says a sad Natalia. Memories of Kachovka are very hard for her; her father was beaten just because he spoke Ukrainian. Her mother is also under occupation, and she does not want to leave Kachowka.
“She says that “This is where my home is, and I’m not moving from here,” she describes.
“Together to independence”
Natalia, her children, and her dog arrived in Białystok in April 2022. She worked occasionally, cleaning and cooking in various homes. Now, she has found a job at the Polish Red Cross, where she helps refugees.
“However, living like this in a dormitory for two years was hard. Fortunately, the Polish Centre for International Aid Foundation came to my aid,” says Natalia.
“Natalia did not believe at first that we had such a program,” says Anush from PCPM. “But when we helped her find an apartment, others followed her example,” explains a PCPM employee.
“Together to Independence” (WdN) is a program to help temporarily protect persons from Ukraine residing in collective housing centers. The goal is to help such persons become independent and leave the centers, including subsidizing part of the cost of renting housing for a period of 6 months and the opportunity to receive assistance from a vocational counselor.
“This is very helpful because it allowed us to move out. Especially when you must pay the first rent and deposit and buy something for the apartment. Your Foundation covers this,” says Natalia, who is renting an apartment in Bialystok for the third month. The program assumes that with each successive installment, the person takes on more and more of the cost of rent so that after 6 months, he can already pay the rent fully on his own.
Zoja also stresses that she was able to get back on her feet thanks to this program.
“I lived with my daughter in one room in a dormitory. Although I was working, I couldn’t put aside enough money to pay several thousand for rent and a security deposit right away. PCPM helped. I finally had enough money and got a small amount to buy bedding and other basic things for the apartment. I was finally able to get back on my feet. Sofia is also happy.”
“I had to start from scratch, but such is life. I’m happy that my daughter is happy and safe,” Zoya concludes, which is confirmed by Sofia eating gingerbread cookies from the table and dancing around the room.
“Starting from the beginning”
The goal of the PCPM program is to integrate refugees from Ukraine. This involves not only material assistance but also dignity. Many people in their countries had their lives arranged, but the war made their careers or skills of little use.
Olha and her 6-year-old son escaped from Bucza. Olha was a lawyer in a construction company. Unfortunately, her years of study and knowledge of the law in Ukraine were not transferable. Olha took on various odd jobs but focused most on raising her son. She had to leave Ukraine on her own, as her husband, as well as many family members, are in the military.
In addition to support in renting an apartment, the Foundation also offers vocational courses, which Olha eagerly takes advantage of.
“I feel very comfortable in Supraśl, and the people are very helpful, just like your Foundation,” Olha says.
Details of the project
The project leader is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for the day-to-day coordination and supervision of the entire initiative. Partners are two NGOs with many years of experience implementing such tasks: the Polish International Aid Center Foundation and the Polish Red Cross. They are responsible for identifying project participants and providing them with direct support.
The European Commission selected the project for funding under the call “Specific Action MS under pressure — Support for Ukraine.” The EC has allocated PLN 84,149,255.34 for its implementation, which is 90% of the project’s budget.
The initiative involves providing assistance to Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection (6,000 people) to achieve self-reliance. The first step is to leave the collective housing center. Project beneficiaries will be offered financial support and a range of activities to foster integration and build a life in Poland. These include individual career counseling, job search assistance, Polish language courses, and cultural and integration activities.
