In October 2014, when the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine escalated, Zinaida (55) was forced to flee her childhood home in Horlivka. Zinaida escaped along with her 10-year old granddaughter Sasha and disabled son Nikolai.
“Nothing is left from my previous life: I had a job, my own house with a big beautiful garden. But the war unexpectedly shattered our peaceful life,” Zinaida told Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Nothing is left from my previous life: I had a job, my own house with a big beautiful garden. But the war unexpectedly shattered our peaceful life.Zinaida, displaced Ukrainian
Unemployed with little support
Zinaida and her family were placed in a collective center for displaced people in Bakhmut, a city located in the territory under the control of the Ukrainian government.
Zinaida was unemployed and the only one taking care of her granddaughter Sasha, whose mother had abandoned her. Local authorities rejected her application for social assistance for her granddaughter, since Zinaida was not her legal guardian. The only means of livelihood for the displaced family was the state disability payment for Nikolai – a mere 1,000 hryvnia (less than US$50).
Desperate for help
"I tried to get help from the local Department of Child Protection, but they only assisted me in initiating legal proceedings. I could not even afford the court fee, which cost half my family’s monthly budget!” Zinaida was desperate.
Zinaida had to stay at home with Sasha who was often sick. She was not eligible for unemployment benefits, as she had no documents confirming her previous work. They had been left at the factory where she used to work in Horlivka.
“There was nobody to go to. The factory’s management had fled due to the conflict and had let all the former employees go,” said Zinaida.
Turned to NRC
One day Zinaida saw a poster about free legal counseling offered by NRC in the public library.
“Zinaida turned to us and we quickly realized that she and her family needed serious assistance,” explained Ivan Goncharuk, NRC Legal Programme Coordinator.
NRC lawyers negotiated with the Department of Child Protection, which finally agreed to represent the child before local authorities. Thanks to this, Sasha received official displacement status, which made her eligible for monthly social assistance. Soon after, Zinaida became her granddaughter’s legal guardian.
Zinaida is grateful to NRC lawyers for their help.
“I thought I was abandoned and didn’t believe that the legal obstacles could be overcome without money. NRC gave me hope and faith in a better future”.
