Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

I am from Ukraine, from Kyiv, my name is Andrew (name changed at the client’s request), and I am the administrator of the HelpNow service in the German hub. I have been in Germany since March 2022. I did not know German. How I see my task: first of all, to reassure the person who addresses us for help. They don’t know how to act. They don’t know how to find what they need.

Accordingly, Step 1: reassure the client. Step 2: provide them with a precise algorithm of actions in order for them to understand what needs to be done; Step 3: prepare them for a visit to the doctor; and Step 4: accompany them (if they need it). I mean online during their stay with the doctor.

I live in Germany as a displaced person. My adaptation was not particularly noticeable. That is, it was going well. Everything was sorted out quickly. With my family, I left Ukraine and in a new country, I applied my experience gained in Ukraine, namely, solving problems and building algorithms to find a way out and solve the situation. We were invited to our city by a very good man, a very good family friend. We found accommodation and after arrival, everything was already prepared for us.

We live with very good people – the Germans. We have a friendly relationship with them. Therefore, the adaptation went unnoticed by me and my whole family: my wife, mother-in-law, and son.

As for me, I also went to see doctors in Germany. There are no difficulties, as far as I see.

Everything is going great and easy. I can tell you that I was lucky with the doctor. You can call him back. You can talk, you can arrange a meeting.

Then when it was necessary to get vaccinated against covid, I addressed the family doctor: I came, got an injection – and that’s it.

How did I find such a doctor? They recommended him to me when I went to Germany. I already knew who I was going to talk to. But here, based on the feedback our clients make, in fact, there are extremely compassionate doctors with a developed sense of empathy. They go into the client’s history and help them from beginning to end. But I noticed that this applies most to children with diagnoses that are part of our specialization. But there are cases when clients say the doctor treated them extremely cold.

Communication with our customers is essential here. I recommend them to prepare VERY well for a visit to the doctor. Be proactive, do not wait for the doctor to ask something. It is worth calling our translator in advance, explaining all your medical problems so the translator is ready to see a doctor. Then the visit to the doctor goes more or less well.

The appointment may only have a problem if the client needs an ultrasound, X-ray, or tomography. This is not done in the same way as in Ukraine. If it can be done within one week in Ukraine, then the terms are much longer, and it is difficult for our people to understand. I talk to the Germans, and that is OK for them to do an ultrasound in 2 months. For us, it’s kind of weird, because in Kyiv, we could come on Monday, learn about what we need to do ultrasound, and do it on Tuesday. Well, there are other rules, and there is insurance medicine.

Difficulties can also be at the person’s level – with the person’s attitude to life, in principle. Again, proactivity is a must. It won’t be easy if a person assumes that someone will do something for them here and accordingly places their expectations on others. Here the country is different; you need to be more active and everything will be fine. If a person does not take this seriously, they do not come to the doctor on time. What is possible in Ukraine is not desirable here. People don’t like to be late at the doctor’s.

We are always nearby, but we warn the client that he must arrive on time, preferably in advance, at least 15-20 minutes in advance.

Even leaving the area, when a person arrives, they don’t have a clinic in Kyiv. It could be an old office building. The clinic may be located on one of these floors. Floors in Germany are counted differently. Therefore, a person needs to arrive in advance, find it all, and call an interpreter.

Proactive clients do that.

We had one almost sightless client with ten percent sight. We told her the doctor’s appointment address, and she arrived the day before and made a route. But she paved it not on the map. She did it physically – reached the office, understood how long it takes, and the next day arrived on time. If a person does this, then everything is fine.

Thus, a significant problem is the irresponsible attitude of the client in order to get to the doctor on time to get the service that he wants.

Recommendations for those people who are still in Ukraine and are going to leave: take with you as much ART or OST drugs as possible (depending on what kind of person you need). Because there will be no problems with the algorithm, but getting insurance can be a problem. And at the very beginning of our activity, the main problem was this insurance. At that time, it could be obtained in a reasonable time in Sozialamt. Since July last year, everything has moved to Jobcenter, and people have received insurance with a delay. In some lands, it is in two weeks; in others, it is in two months.

A proactive option is to take contacts independently, and addresses of insurance companies, come there and insist that you need insurance. They will give you the insurance number. This is enough to go to the doctor for an appointment.

Thus, the most important thing is to take ART drugs with you for at least three months, if OST – for the maximum possible period, if there are other chronic diseases – also with a margin. And it is also important to come not with packeges but with medical statements, preferably even translated. In this case, therapy can be given for longer if the doctor sees a medical discharge. After arriving in Germany, he will take a proactive position and immediately take up the issues of registration, JobCenter, and insurance.

Last year, there were a lot of appeals from clients with ART interruption. That is, there were even cases when the client called and said: “Hello, I have not taken art for 3-4 months. Could you help me?” The reason for such interruptions is mostly the person, precisely in his inactive position. Even if a person has left Ukraine, for the most part, contacts with social workers and doctors from Ukraine remain. Social workers and infectious disease specialists knew the connections between our Hub and the service from the beginning since working meetings with infectious disease specialists. They talk about where to turn for patients who went abroad.

Now, thank God, everything is settled – customers call in a timely manner. I recommend not to postpone the visit to the doctor because it is necessary to take CD4 tests regularly and for viral load. It is essential that the person establishes contact with the doctor and that he has the opportunity to come, take tests, tell him what regimen he takes and how many days are left, and appoint the next visit so that there is no interruption.

On the continuation of the service after a year of work.

I think we need that help anyway. Because even by the number of initial requests, I see there are primary requests and repeated requests. Customers who previously contacted us still call. They are interested not only in medical services but also in social services. Clients have conflicts with tenants, with neighbors. It is important to have a social and psychological support service so that here they do not establish firewood and do not enter into such frank conflicts with landlords, do not turn to the police on their neighbors, but calmly resolve all issues.

The main task of every person is to be calm and in harmony with himself and others. But not everyone can find the strength to cope with it on their own. And some of these forces do not, and they need a psychologist.

Some customers have destroyed homes, and they have nowhere to go. It would be relevant and useful to deal with the issue of compensation for destroyed housing. Develop an algorithm for how much clients deal with the issue of restoration and compensation for the destroyed property on the territory of Ukraine while still in Germany. This can be a matter of property, and it can also be a loss – a father, brother, or loved one who died in the war and the related receipt of compensation associated with the death of a loved one. These may be issues related to inheritance. For example, a person is in Germany, a loved one has died on the territory of Ukraine, and a person cannot contact a notary within six months. It would be possible for a person to offer certain services in each and individually taken case. Mothers have questions related to alimony. You can help solve their problems here while in Germany because these problems are still in Ukraine. After all, Dad is there, and if Dad does not pay the alimony that the client needs, you can do it from here.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

My name is Halyna [name changed]; I’m from Kyiv. Now I live in Germany, in the Saarland. I came here in August 2022. My children forced me to leave, or else I would have stayed in Kyiv.

It so happened that I came here, and my children are in another country. When the war started, I sent them to my sister. But I’m renewing the documents to go to them. They took me from Ukraine, and they helped with the renewal of documents.

I have been taking ART since 2018. I learned about the virus when I was pregnant. Since then, I have been taking therapy. At the time of my departure, I had pills.

Before that, my friend from Poland sent me a link to the website of HelpNow. She said they were good volunteers. And here I am. When I came here to Germany, I met a volunteer named Larissa. She helped me find a doctor. She treated me with great understanding, which was very important to me. I wasn’t expecting that. There was no such thing in Kyiv, and social workers did not accompany anyone.

Here I was tested and found hepatitis C. Although I also did tests in Ukraine, hepatitis was not detected. Even in the Ukrainian medical statement, it is indicated that there is no hepatitis.

Larissa arranged for me at the doctor’s appointment and wrote where and when to come. At the doctor’s appointment, I had an interpreter with me, who Larissa found. A German doctor looked at the drugs I was taking in Ukraine and told me not to take them anymore because it was, he said, for people who had to die. He prescribed me others.

Larissa regularly calls me and asks me how I am doing, whether I have already gone to work, whether I have been to the doctor, whether I have been tested. Yes, I already work in Germany. And I’m constantly in touch with Larissa.

When I found out about hepatitis, I thought I would kill myself. Larissa and Olha reassured me that it can be treated. They called me every day, and I cried all the time. I was already going to die. I called the children, and said goodbye to them, my sister.

But I have already undergone treatment for hepatitis, and soon I will take control tests. Everything was free for me. The insurance pays. I feel good, even fattened by 9 kg.

I am very grateful to Larissa! I’ve never seen her, but I’m ready to hug and kiss her, honestly! You can just talk to her, and she’ll calm you down. After all, here, you encounter difficulties at every step. First of all, because of different language.

I still need to find a dentist. And I am still working on restoring documents so that children can come to me in Germany. They can be deported to Ukraine but not to Germany. It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting. I have never met such psychologists and help in my life.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

My name is Liudmila. I am from Dnipro, and now I live in Hannover, Germany. I came here on March 15, 2022, to visit my daughter. In principle, I had a decision to leave Ukraine, and I was very scared. I knew I wasn’t alive! But how to leave everything? It was scary. My daughter came here with her grandchildren, and I came here by accident. I was in Poland on other business, and one friend offered to give me a lift to Hanover. In general, I decided to stop by my children and grandchildren for an hour, at least to kiss kids and return home. But this day stretched out for me for 11 days, and I realized that my home is where my family is.

Then I returned to Ukraine for two weeks because I worked, and a lot was tied to me (clients, projects) because I was a manager. I arrived, handed over the case, and returned to Hanover (already in April). I got super lucky. I did not go through the camp, and we immediately had a house outside the city for which we did not pay. Also, we did not pay for the communal, and the woman who gave it to us also helped with groceries. Within a few months, I had my own apartment. Aid for refugees was also issued relatively quickly – 5 months, which is fast for Germany.

I had to live for four or five months. I took many pills with me, but I understood that here I needed to integrate into the medical system because there may be some concomitant diseases at any moment.

Initially, I did not have insurance, but the social service gave a referral that covered an appeal to an infectious disease specialist. Here the system is basically similar to Ukrainian: a mandatory family doctor, without which you will not get anywhere. It is desirable to find a Russian-speaking doctor because it is difficult with translators. At first, I was a bit desperate, but I was helped by a colleague who works in a Polish hub. She gave me contacts of the German hub, where I was then redirected to the administrator of the land where I live. I really felt like A CUSTOMER. And I knew how to work.

I wanted to hear some good words. Therefore, I often called the administrator of the German hub, Oksana. I was so confused then that it was only necessary to hear her calm voice, and it was easier on my soul.

I discussed with her all medical issues and other issues where help was needed. HelpNowDe helped me make an appointment with my doctor. For a conversation on the phone, I would manage only the first two or three phrases. So I needed help.

There was another case. There was a suspicion that the thrombus broke off, and I had a fever. I started calling Oksana, and it was a weekend. Here in Germany, there is a panicky fear of calling an ambulance because you don’t know the system. They usually write in chats: “The ambulance arrived, set a fine of 800-1000 euros”, and you do not understand whether it is necessary to call or whether you really are so bad.

But as a doctor, Oksana said: “Call an ambulance immediately.” When I called the ambulance, we used the speakerphone with her, and Oksana was a translator. Likewise, she translated through a speakerphone when the ambulance arrived, which hospitalized me.

As for ART, I showed my pill packages to the doctor, and she changed me to another drug and prescribed me a child’s dosage. I immediately told the doctor that it was not suitable for me I would not drink this. But the doctor did not listen to me, and she said that they had such protocols. Then I found another doctor who had already prescribed me as it should be. Honestly, thanks to the girls from this project!

I am now approached by many Ukrainians in Germany, particularly those who are afraid of discrimination. Someone lives in the village and worries about what the neighbors discover about the virus. They are afraid to the point that they are ready to go to Ukraine or leave therapy.

In Germany, there is a list of diseases you must report, and this list does not include HIV. When I was brought to the ambulance, they began to ask me about my condition and whether there was hepatitis. I told them about HIV, and everything was OK.

The Germans are slow, and everything is very slow and calm here. Even in queues, people stand quietly, and no one hurries, likewise, with the documents in Jobcentre. I say that I have been without help for four months, and they answer that everything is at the processing stage and you need to wait.

Another good piece of advice is to start learning the language right away.

And most importantly, don’t be afraid. That’s not to be scared, because there is no reason to refuse any services here. After all, you are from Ukraine. Everyone is treated the same.

Now we have created a new organization here – PlusUkrDe for support and communication. A mutual support group has already been assembled in Hannover and there have been 6 meetings. We meet in person outside, in nature and our meetings are very rich and useful. This is very important when there is a community, and it is alive. These are the people you can talk to and rely on, and then it’s really easier to live. I help others and thereby help myself, even if there are demanding clients. And yet I feel like a client here, even when I go to Berlin for different meetings. This is the actual hand of mutual aid. It gives strength.

I played in the theater back in Ukraine, and now in Germany we organized and also play in the theater – playback, we meet in Berlin, in Hanover. The girls with whom I played in the theater in Ukraine also come to us now from Norway, Great Britain, from other cities in Germany, and we organize such events here in Germany. We invite members of the mutual support group to our events.

When I arrived here, I closed all my projects. I thought that I would not go into this auxiliary profession at all. I thought I would travel, walk in the woods, and ride a bicycle. And then I realized I couldn’t do it without it.

What should be added to the services of the service is integration. What I mean: for example, to gather groups of German and Ukrainian women to at least borrow something from everyday life, some rules, even some holidays.

I’m exploring how they celebrate different holidays because I live here. For example, I will also celebrate Orthodox Easter. This is to ensure that children remember their roots.

Ukraine will win, but what to do next? I plan to stay here, but it may not work out. I don’t know the language; nobody tells me about it in Jobcentre. We need high-quality advice from an expert to whom we can tell the truth so that they tell me what I need to do for this, and where to go to work.

I want to understand how to integrate into German society to feel more or less ordinary.

I believe that the work of the service is necessary, and it is necessary to continue it! The war in Ukraine continues, and people still come to Germany. And they need support, help with where to turn. This is VERY important to us. I talked to the evacuees here. Everyone says: this is the only project aimed at evacuated people. The rest of the projects are aimed at working with Ukraine.

I am by nature a positive person. And how many people with depression, how many people are simply pulled out of loops, because many people are already looking towards Ukraine, although they lived there worse. Here they have housing, and their children go to school and have funds for food and other needs. That is much better.

I want to thank this project and its administrators from the bottom of my heart! They understand that from a change of place in a person, problems become more and more.

I feel like I’m being seen and thought of!

For example, when they sent me this parcel with groceries, and before that, they sent me a questionnaire to fill out some products I needed, I felt I was “malnourished”. I had so much joy when I unpacked their parcel, like from my mother, when you come to visit my mother, she feeds you, although you are not hungry.

It’s cool, so work as long as you can. These are my wishes.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

Story of help: Natalya

Natalia (name changed) is a psychologist by profession. She has years of successful practice, recommendations, and grateful clients. The woman admits that even her experience cannot cover all the pain and despair she felt when she had to pack her things, leave her native Kyiv and go abroad with her minor daughter.

At the beginning of the war, they stayed in western Ukraine for some time. But the cost of renting a house there soon became unaffordable, so Natalia began to think about other options. “We stayed at the border with Poland for more than a day. We were told that this was not long – before that, people stayed there for three days.” After crossing, she and her daughter stayed with a friend in Krakow. The shelter was safe, but the woman did not want to become a burden, so she began to look at options for moving on. She chose Israel. “My classmates live there, but I wasn’t ready to tell them that I needed ART. So, while I was still in Poland, I was looking for ways to get registered there. I came across your service on the Internet and wrote to the contacts provided. And within a few hours, I received information from the manager about my request.” When Natalia moved to Israel, she called HelpNow’s partner organization, which helped her get registered and continue taking her medication without interruption. 

“Here, the attitude toward HIV-positive people is calm, I would even say emphatically equal. No unnecessary questions, everything is private and with a smile from the staff. There were no obstacles to receiving therapy. This helps a lot, especially against the background of a bunch of other concomitant problems. I am sincerely grateful for your help and ready to participate in the lives of Ukrainian refugees. Take care and good luck with your work!”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

My name is Alina [name changed]; I am from Kropyvnytskyi and live in Bielefeld. I came here with my child in March 2022.

First, we came to Poland, and there were people from Germany inviting us to their homes. So we went there. We lived at that house for two months and then moved to a separate apartment.

I⁠had an ART supply for 2 months. And when the therapy was over, I began to look for ART through my friends through Volodymyr. He helped me on every step.

I did not get to the doctor very quickly because I came and did not know anyone, where to go, or what to do. Then I was introduced to volunteers [service administrators], who gave me the hospital address where I went. Although it was difficult because I did not have a referral from the family doctor, so I had to travel a little. Volunteers also helped me with translation during a visit to the doctor (by phone).

Now I make an appointment with the doctor by myself; I go to the appointments myself. But the pills that I was prescribed here in Germany made me sick. Therefore, Volodymyr helps me with this; he brings me therapy from Ukraine.

Here I also take my classes. We are 25 Ukrainians in the group, and we are learning and communicating with each other. And so I speak with my neighbor, she is from Kazakhstan, and she talks to me in Russian.

It was difficult at first. I did not know German at all, and we lived with strangers, with the Germans. We are very grateful to them; it was just a little uncomfortable. Finding a doctor nearby was difficult. I was a month without pills. Adaptation is difficult.

My kid is OK, and attends kindergarten. This year, the kid will go to school and learn German.

After arriving in another country, it is very important and very easy when someone can help find a hospital nearby and tell you what documents you need to make so that the person arrives and already understands where to go so as not to miss therapy.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”

My name is Marina; I’m from Kyiv. I arrived in Germany in July 2022. I could not go before because my mother was after an operation and there were grandparents we took from the village to Kyiv. My grandfather didn’t walk anymore, my grandmother still moved, but I had to look after them. Mom was also unable to move after the operation.

I was the only one who could help them at the store.

But my grandfather died this month on 40 Saints Day. My mother has undergone rehabilitation after the operation and is feeling well. After her recovery, I left the country immediately. My mom didn’t want to go with me, so she stayed to look after my grandparents.

I decided to go to Germany on the proposal of a neighbor with whom we lived in Kyiv in the same house. She promised to help me with paperwork and finding housing and also allowed me to live at hers for a while.

In Germany, I found a one-room furnished apartment. While I am not working, I go to German language courses.

The only thing is that I am alone here, so it is difficult because there are no relatives here, no parents.

My son is in Finland; he went in the first days of the war to my ex-husband’s relatives. There he entered the university. So he decided not to go to Germany.

When I left, I had nothing at all. Money for travel was sent to me by my Kyiv friend from Germany. I collected the most important things: a pair of T-shirts, pants, coats, and two pairs of sneakers, and that’s it.

I had no medicine at all. I learned about my hepatitis C just before the invasion. I just had time to get tested. Then covid started again, and later the clinics ceased to work.

In Germany, I stuck with it. First, I got one job, then another. I didn’t know how to get cured.

I have finished therapy, which I received for three months, and I am already doing well. I had tests: an ultrasound of the liver and blood tests, and I ⁠was prescribed therapy. I was treated here, and passed tests – I no longer have hepatitis.

I found the HelpNow service on my own: I put it in Google and accidentally got your site. The girl answered me, asked me what city I was in, and recommended clinics. I went to one of these clinics in my city. They answered me almost immediately and said they were ready to accept me. After the tests, I was prescribed pills within a day. This is an infectious diseases clinic; that is, they specialize in treating hepatitis and HIV.

HelpNow managers suggested that I use the services of an interpreter by phone during a visit to the doctor. But the doctor spoke Russian, and I did not have to use the services of an interpreter.

I was in a good mood; I started to believe that I could be healthy, and that there was a chance to be healthy. 

When I started taking drugs for hepatitis C, insomnia and nausea began, and I was faced with depression after I stopped. I don’t know if it had anything to do with medicine or the beginning of spring, but it was frantic.

I told the doctor about my feelings, but he said to me that, in principle, there could be no side effects. Nausea may not be due to pills. The reason could be a five-fold increase in the liver.

The doctor advised not to follow any diet while taking the pills, as they are so effective that they will help.

I was really preparing for death. I read so much about hepatitis that I thought I was dying. That is, sooner or later, I will die, but now my life is prolonged. I am happy and satisfied that I can live again and build my plans.

Also, from the positive moments: here, in Germany, I met a man. I’m dating him now. He supported me during my treatment. This guy is an Arab, but his citizenship is already German, and thanks to his support, it became easier for me.

My sister, mother, and grandmother supported me. I didn’t say much about my illness. Only my parents knew, but my friends didn’t.

After the arrival, it was difficult, but I comforted myself and reassured you that no missiles were flying over me. At first, I thought I imagined that I was in a resort. After the experience in Kyiv, Germany seemed to me just a paradise.

I thanked the manager of the HelpNow service. Sometimes I keep in touch; I constantly congratulate on the holidays.

I am already giving myself advice here, but psychological support is still relevant.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

Valeria (Germany): “People still come who need medical services, as well as other consultations just for accommodation”

My name is Valeria, and I am from Chervonohrad, Lviv region. I’m 19. I arrived in Germany in April. I came because I was pregnant, and it was scary to give birth in Ukraine because I had a positive status and did not know how it would be. Now we live with my child in a German family in a separate room in Berlin.

I chose Germany because I knew that people were treated well here and that there was a group of HIV-positive people here. 

We have two youth organizations for HIV-infected people in Ukraine. A friend of mine attends one of them. She came here too. They protect the rights of HIV-positive adolescents. Thus, I knew that it would be possible to register with an infectious disease specialist through them. Through them, I learned about your service and received humanitarian assistance. 

In addition, I was helped with the search for an infectious disease specialist. I waited about a month for a doctor’s appointment. I was tested and prescribed other ART drugs as they were running out. 

The drugs are not the same as those issued in Ukraine but have the same components. Therefore there was nothing wrong with it. My body reacts OK. Once every three months, I come to get a prescription. You can sign up, but you can not wait and come without a prescription there. 

It was still difficult because I didn’t know who to turn to, and another thing was my status. I didn’t know what my life would be like if I didn’t find a doctor. 

I was supported by volunteers, administrators of the German Hub, an organization from Ukraine, and friends. 

However, from the positive – you do not hear all these fights, you know that a bomb will not fall on you somewhere.

Also, a positive point:  there are a lot of different trainings for HIV-positive, as in Ukraine. I was an activist, so here I am too. There are a variety of training, self-support groups, chat, where you can rewrite and share experiences, and the like.

The service should continue to work because people still come who need medical assistance, as well as other consultations just for accommodation, for example, of a humanitarian and social nature.

Rozłąka łamie nam serce… Zdarza się, że będąc daleko, wydaje się, że nie można niczym wesprzeć bliskich.

Andriy, service administrator (Germany): “You need to be more active, and then everything will be fine”

Halyna, (Germany): “It is good that such wonderful people can support and prevent them from losing heart, holding on, and fighting”

Liudmila, (Germany): “The most important thing is not to be afraid!”

Alina, (Germany): “When you arrive in a new country, it is very important and very relieving to have someone who can help you.”

Marina, (Germany): “I have faith that I can be healthy, I have a chance to be healthy”