Her Journey
Оksana's story
Before the war, Oksana's handmade toys shipped around the world. The war took her studio but she is creating again. And working toward the day her craft pays for her daughters' futures.
For eight years, Oksana ran a handmade doll business that reached customers across Europe, the United States, and Australia. She managed her own Etsy shop, led workshops for adults and children, and handled her own content and promotion.
Then the war came to Kinburnska Spit. She left with her three daughters and nothing else. The home she left behind is damaged from explosions and under occupation. Her materials, tools, studio, and life she'd build there are gone.
She is raising her daughters alone in Odesa. Her youngest has a disability that requires constant care and ongoing rehabilitation. Her middle daughter watched a close friend die during an attach and carries that loss every day. Working from home is not a preference. It is the only way to be present for her girls and earn income at the same time.
Hope Bravely provided the first grant of supplies and a small kiln to get started. The craft that supported her is reviving her income and her hope.
She's already proven she can do it and is making progress toward rebuilding.
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Juliia is raising six kids and runs private speech therapy sessions out of her home. A master's degree in Rehabilitation Therapy stands between her and the children's rehabilitation center she is determined to build.
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Kateryna
Kateryna fled Kharkiv seven months pregnant, with two small kids and no money for food. Her 13 years of nursing and a driver's license will set a path into a new medical career.
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