Yana Rybalchenko said: “Even when it gets tough, you have to pull yourself together and keep moving forward”
Yana comes from the Sumy region. Together with her husband, she spent a long time searching for a place to call home, eventually finding it in Stetskivka—a large village near the regional capital. The family bought a house and transformed it into their dream home. A large orchard soon grew around it, filled with apple, cherry, sweet cherry, and peach trees, alongside dozens of varieties of raspberries and strawberries.
“When you scroll through old photos, you see the house at the very beginning and what it became. You realise how much of our own hard work went into it. It was a place of peace and happy family life,” Yana says.
During the warmer months, the family had dinner in the yard almost every day. Relatives often visited, and friends gathered; any ordinary day could turn into a small celebration.
When the full-scale war began, the family left for a while but later returned home. Like many residents of the border region, they hoped the danger would pass. At some point, the situation began to change rapidly, with shelling becoming increasingly frequent.
The Rybalchenkos made the final decision to evacuate after an explosion damaged their house and completely destroyed two cars.
“We took two suitcases of clothes. Nothing else. That day, we couldn’t even properly step out into the yard to take photos of the damage. Russian drones were flying continuously over the house,” the woman continues.
Friends risked their lives, driving under heavy shelling to help evacuate Yana and her children to Sumy. Her husband stayed behind a little longer to board up the shattered windows and temporarily secure the house from further destruction.
The family started over almost from scratch, facing the challenges of finding housing, filling out paperwork, and feeling lost on where to turn for help. During this difficult time, the Rokada Charitable Foundation provided vital support.
Yana recalls that after the relocation, it was overwhelming to navigate the numerous administrative procedures and services. The guidance from the foundation’s staff proved especially valuable at a moment when stress made it hard to know where to begin.
In addition to informational support, the family received practical assistance. Evacuating household appliances from a frontline village is impossible. Rokada provided the Rybalchenkos with a refrigerator, and the children are now waiting for a new bunk bed.
“They are already arguing over who gets to sleep on the top bunk,” Yana smiles.
In their new location, the woman found a job, while the children attend schools and sports clubs. The eldest son plays football, while the youngest takes swimming lessons and is undergoing rehabilitation following the stress he experienced.
Yana’s thoughts often return to her home in Stetskivka. The house is still standing; it is damaged but not destroyed, and formally, it is habitable. However, due to the constant shelling, returning is impossible.
Despite all the hardships, Yana refuses to despair, with her husband and children remaining her main pillar of support.
“You have to keep living. Be a decent person and never stop. You can get tired, take a rest, and then move forward again. We simply have no other choice,” the woman is convinced.
