“I Started My Life Over. But the War Caught Up With Me.” The Story of a Woman from Donetsk Region

After moving to Kharkiv region, Iryna’s family was settling into a new home, but the house was badly damaged in shelling. During this difficult period, Iryna’s family received humanitarian cash assistance through a programme implemented by the NGO Responsible Citizens in partnership with Acted as part of the Response Consortium, with financial support from the US government.

Before the full-scale war, Iryna Vdovenko lived in the village of Andriivka, Donetsk region. Her home, work, familiar life and plans for the future were all there. She worked in retail, ran her own business and, like many residents of the community, could not imagine that one day she would have to leave everything behind.

After her native village was occupied, the family was forced to evacuate. Their home, like almost all of Andriivka, was completely destroyed. In search of a safer place to live, the family moved to the Kunyivska community in Izium district, Kharkiv region. There, they bought a house that became almost their only chance to start their lives over. However, the house was in extremely poor condition — it lacked proper utilities and a bathroom and required major repairs. The family gradually made the home habitable on their own: they replaced windows and doors, repaired the rooms and created basic living conditions.

“We thought the hardest part was behind us. We just wanted to settle into our new home and move on,” Iryna says.

However, the war reminded them of itself once again. Recently, a shell struck near the family’s home. The blast damaged the fence, doors, part of the house and the summer kitchen. Once again, the family had to repair their home on their own. As of today, they have still not received assistance to restore the damaged property.

The constant stress and losses she experienced also affected the woman’s health. Following her displacement and the events she went through, she was diagnosed with diabetes, which requires ongoing treatment and additional expenses.

During this difficult period, Iryna received humanitarian cash assistance through a programme implemented by the NGO Responsible Citizens in partnership with Acted as part of the Response Consortium, with financial support from the US government.

The funds helped cover the family’s most pressing needs. Iryna used part of the assistance to purchase necessary medication and the rest to repair the damaged house and buy a gas stove, which was essential for managing everyday life.

“When you have to start everything from scratch, every bit of support like this means a lot. It helps you take care of things that you had to put off because you simply could not afford them,” the woman says.

Despite all the difficulties, Iryna has not lost the strength to move forward. Her children and grandchildren remain her greatest source of support. For their sake, she continues to make her new home a place to live and holds on to the hope that one day life will become more peaceful.

Iryna’s story once again shows that even after being forcibly displaced, many Ukrainian families continue to live under constant threat and face new losses. Humanitarian cash assistance gives people the opportunity to decide for themselves what their most urgent needs are, support their health, restore their homes and preserve their dignity in difficult circumstances.