Nataliia (name changed), born in 1991, comes from Sloviansk in Donetsk region. For the second year now, she has been living in Poltava as an internally displaced person. Despite lacking permanent work, Nataliia tries not to give up — she looks for temporary jobs that allow her to cover her most basic needs.
Within the framework of the VirusOFF emergency aid project, funded by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action, Nataliia was able to pay for train tickets to visit her relatives who remained in Donetsk region under constant shelling. This trip turned out to be life-changing: in January, on her way back to Poltava, Nataliia managed to take her cousin and her family, including two small children, out of the danger zone. Now they are also in relative safety and have begun the process of applying for internally displaced person status.
“I am grateful for this support. Thanks to the assistance, I was able not only to see my relatives, but also to help save part of my family. This feeling is priceless,” says Nataliia.
This material was prepared as part of the VirusOFF emergency aid project funded by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action. The project has been active since March 2022 and provides emergency humanitarian and social support through the VirusOFF platform to members of key populations affected by HIV, as well as to local organizations. To date, over 1,500 individuals from these communities have received assistance through the project.