'I no longer worry about feeding my children in winter': Nataliia's story from Ukraine

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, residents of the northern border areas have faced continuous shelling, disrupted infrastructure, and mandatory evacuations. For many families, living in frontline villages has become unsafe, forcing them to leave their homes and start over from scratch.

8 September 2025

One of these families is the Nedaiivoda family. Their hometown, Vorozhba, lies just 10 kilometers from the state border and was among the settlements subject to mandatory evacuation. Nataliia, her husband, and their five children relocated to the village of Velyki Budky in Romny Raion, a safer area in Sumy Oblast that borders Chernihiv Oblast. Here, ZOA is actively supporting displaced families.

Rebuilding and integrating

Now renting a house, the family is gradually integrating into the local community. Their youngest daughter was born after the move; she is only six months old. Like many other internally displaced people (IDPs), the family had to rebuild their lives from the ground up: starting a garden, raising poultry, and purchasing livestock to provide food for themselves. This is especially challenging for large families with small children, like Nataliia’s.

"Mrs. Nataliia was actively involved from the very beginning in the project funded by the European Union," shares Veronika Kaliuzhna, ZOA Project Officer in Sumy Oblast. "We invited her to a focus group meeting at the Vilshanska Village Council. She showed initiative, shared her experience, and later joined the local volunteer committee."

Farming and livestock

As part of the project, the family received a cash grant. They were free to decide how to use the money based on their own priorities. With the funds, they bought chicks, small livestock, feed, and some essential farming tools.

Nataliia

"This support really changed our lives. Now I no longer worry about how to feed my family during the winter. Even more — we can sell some surplus, like poultry we raise. We are very grateful to ZOA for this crucial support."

EU Funding

Thanks to funding from the European Union, ZOA is implementing an emergency agricultural assistance project for vulnerable households in Sumy and Kherson oblasts. Around 500 families affected by the war will receive help to preserve or restore their livelihoods.