When the war broke out in 2022, Katia was studying law in Mykolaiv. She quickly decided that she wanted to be of use to Mykolaiv’s most vulnerable citizens. Since then, she has worked as a volunteer in several civil society organizations and is now a full-time employee at DanChurchAid (DCA) / Norwegian Church Aid’s (NCA) partner organization Right to Protection.
20-year-old Katia is part of a team at Right to Protection that is helping people in vulnerable situations in Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblasts in Southern Ukraine. Funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid, this support extends from case management and helping people get to their appointment at the hospital or local authority to legal aid when personal documents have been lost during the war.
Case management and legal aid are crucial for vulnerable people near frontlines and in de-occupied areas of Ukraine. These services help address complex needs, ensure access to vital resources, secure legal rights, and navigate bureaucratic challenges, which are often exacerbated by conflict. This assistance is vital for improving their quality of life, safeguarding their rights, and fostering resilience amid ongoing instability.
In order for the support to reach the vulnerable population in Mykolaiv and Kherson, people like Katia are needed. She drives around Mykolaiv and the surrounding area to help people with everything from getting to the hospital for examinations, obtaining SIM cards, getting a bank account, to helping communicate with the authorities about pension payments. In short, anything that people find difficult to manage on their own. However, that is not the limit of her job. She is a visiting friend for people, who are often dealing with loneliness, and whose families live far from them.
“My goal is to help people who live with difficult life circumstances after the outbreak of the war. This concerns people who, due to various circumstances such as disabilities, limited mobility, or psychological distress, are unable to solve their problems on their own and require social support,” says Katia.
This photo series follows Katia through one day on the job.
