“My friend told me about your service — she is a woman living with HIV and advised me to reach out,” says Yevheniia (name changed).

Yevheniia is an internally displaced person. She is originally from eastern Ukraine, where she was born and lived for many years in an area that is now under temporary occupation. She has not left the country and says she never seriously considered going abroad. “I don’t have a family yet, so I am responsible only for myself. I decided to stay in Ukraine,” she explains.

Yevheniia has a higher education degree and many years of experience working in the retail sector. She learned about her HIV status more than 15 years ago and almost immediately registered for care and started antiretroviral therapy. “I understood that treatment would be a part of my life and that it cannot be interrupted,” she says.

When the situation at home became extremely dangerous, Yevheniia decided she had to move. That is how she ended up in Dnipro. “It’s not completely quiet here either, but it’s still not comparable to what it was like at home,” she shares.

In the new city, she needed to quickly find a way to continue her treatment. That’s when Yevheniia remembered her friend’s advice and contacted the HelpNow service. “They responded very quickly, explained where I should go and what documents I needed to bring with me. That was very important for me — a new city, many unknowns.”

As a result, everything went smoothly and without unnecessary stress. “I was able to register for care and continue my therapy. Everything was organized easily, without extra worries.”

Yevheniia says that in moments like these, support and simple human understanding mean a lot. “Thank you for your work. It’s very important to know that there are people and services who can guide and support you when you are starting life again.”

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This publication was prepared by Fundacją HelpNow HUBwithin the framework of the project “From heart to heart” in partnership with Step by Step Fundacja, in partnership with Fundacja Res Humanae, with financial support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.