She decided to start a new life and moved with her family to Ternopil: this is the story of Oksana from Pokrovsk

She decided to start a new life and moved with her family to Ternopil, leaving everything behind in her hometown. This is the story of Oksana from Pokrovsk, who became one of the winners of the grant competition from the Ukrainian Red Cross project “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities”.

Oksana realised that staying in her hometown due to the shelling was dangerous. Consequently, she relocated with her daughter and mother from Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region to Ternopil, hundreds of kilometres away. She lost not only her home but also the business she had developed over 14 years. Adapting to a new environment was not easy; she faced challenges such as renting an apartment and searching for a job, as her client base remained in the Donetsk region.

Oksana had to take care of her family and was determined to move on. She learned about the grant support available under the “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities” project, implemented by the Ukrainian Red Cross with support from the Spanish Red Cross. Oksana prepared a business plan and became one of the winners, receiving funds to open a travel agency. As part of the project, she consulted a psychologist, which helped her adapt better to her new surroundings.

“I used my knowledge of tourism and my love for travelling to create a place where everyone could get help planning their trips. Since the ‘Come with Us’ agency is a franchise, I could resume my business, rent an office in Ternopil, and have already had my first clients,” says Oksana.