"...but they never showed up. Eventually, I stopped waiting."
VICTORIA, 27
My parents sent me to a boarding school* when I was seven. They promised to take me home every weekend, so I stood outside waiting every Friday. It seemed they would open the door the next second and pick me up in their arms. How could I not believe my mother? But weekend after weekend passed, and they never showed up.
Eventually, I stopped waiting.
Sometimes, they would come to visit me. Every time that happened, I expected to be taken away for at least a few days. I just wanted to go home, and it didn’t matter to me that they were drinking vodka, smoking, and cursing each other for whole days. I craved nothing more than just to go home – to my mom and baba, whom I loved so much.
But that never happened.
I lived in a boarding school for 11 slow, difficult, painful years. I still have this pain in my heart – how could they leave me and not even think of me? I lived the paradox of being an orphan with living parents, forced to fend for myself even for basic school supplies, resorting to work after sixth grade just to afford a pen and notebook. Then, my parents started talking to me, mainly to find out when I got my salary. They were only interested in my hard-earned money.
In 2015, I finished the 11th grade and had to leave the school. I knew about Home of Hope but harboured reservations about residing among nuns. Yet, God always leads us to a better place – that’s how I walked through the doors of Home of Hope on June 31, 2015.
Here, I learned everything my family had not taught me: cooking, cleaning, having faith, praying, thanking God and always hoping for the best.
I appreciate this place for being safe and not judgmental. No matter what time I returned home, I always knew they were waiting for me. I could write a few more pages about funny and not-so-funny stories, exciting learning experiences and trips the Sisters organized for us, and many other things. But I just want to thank them and all the good people who taught me to love, believe, and hope.
On October 20, 2018, my dear Sisters married me to my beloved husband, Maryan. Home of Hope will forever remain in my heart; I bow in thanks to all who create and maintain this extraordinary place.
-Victoria, 27
*Apparently, you don’t have the same type of schools in Canada. This kind of boarding school is not a fancy private one. It’s a government-run school where parents who don’t want their children anymore can get rid of them.
It was a long month under fire, without any means of civilization or communication. I don’t want to describe this month in detail because it causes too much pain…
On March 17, 2022, I managed to leave the city, thanks to my neighbours. The road was extremely tough, long and dangerous. So, I ended up in Lviv, where I continued my studies. Now, I am a student at the Lviv College of Music, majoring in violin, and I plan to study at the Kyiv Music Academy after.
I am incredibly grateful to the donors who support Home of Hope because, thanks to you, I can take additional lessons from tutors to enroll in the academy.
I have a good relationship with my family, I miss them a lot. My dad worked at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and is now retired. My older sister is a theatre critic, and the younger one is preparing to enter a sports college.
I am grateful to the Home of Hope for creating a sense of security, peace, and comfort for me. After moving here, I noticed that I became more responsible, got rid of deep anxiety, and gained peace in my heart.
The opportunity to live in the Home is a great gift for me. I imagined it as a harsh monastery, but it turned out to be the warmest place after back home. Thank you, Sisters and donors, for this ministry!"
-Alice, 18