In 2024, CWS launched operations in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast province to provide essential services such as food distribution, medical and psychosocial support and protection for vulnerable groups, in partnership with local organizations. As part of this work, CWS and local partners visited communities in January 2025 to assess winterization needs. The following blog is a testimony from one of the participants, Mrs. Marina, who has been internally displaced in Ukraine with her family since the start of the conflict.
Fleeing Home: A Mother’s Sacrifice for Her Children
Photo courtesy of Caritas Odesa UGCC
I am a teacher. I worked in Rozivka, taught, [and] helped children build the future. And just like that, in February 2022, the future was shattered. Our village fell under occupation. At first, everyone thought it wasn’t for long, but days became weeks, weeks became months.
This is how I spent four months with my three sons, moving from village to village, hiding from persecution and gunfire.
When I finally got the first opportunity to leave, I gave up our seats on the bus to student girls. The second opportunity came almost a month later. Changing the lists and replacing the documents, we were able to break out. The road to Zaporizhia was the scariest two days of my life. We were stopped, checked, and forced to get out of the car. At one of the checkpoints, the officer mockingly asked us, “Why are you bored at home?”
I kept my mouth shut. There was only one answer in my head: “What about you? Why have you come to our home?” But silence was a lifesaver then.
The Road of Death: A Perilous Escape to Safety
We drove on the “road of death”: a field mined on both sides, a narrow track that could only accommodate one vehicle at a time—no chance to maneuver, no stops. It seemed that every meter could be the last. I looked at my children and prayed.
When we finally got to Zaporizhia, I couldn’t believe it; we were saved. We were free. But can freedom be complete when your home is occupied?
We found shelter in the Odesa region, in the village of Raukhove, but I never managed to start a new life. I live in anticipation of returning home, to the free Ukrainian Rozivka, where my children will be able to feel at home again.
I don’t know when it will happen, but I know for sure that day will come. It is difficult to start everything from scratch, without your belongings and usual living conditions. We are grateful to the CWS winterization project for the help. I will use the money saved from the purchase of firewood to improve conditions for my sons.
This story is possible thanks to CWS’ membership in ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy, and the support of Presbyterian Church (USA). To learn more about our Ukraine response, click here.
As we mark three years since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, families who have been impacted are still in need. Please consider contributing to the CWS Ukraine Response Fund to help us continue to provide services to individuals like Mrs. Marina.