Viktoriia Shynkar – 37 years old
From Hairdresser to Deminer
“Of course it’s important to cut people’s hair. Even soldiers need haircuts. But in principle, they can cut their own hair. They don’t actually need me for that.”
Viktoriia Shynkar had worked as a hairdresser throughout her adult life. She had grown up in her mother’s salon and had practically absorbed the trade with her mother’s milk. She lived an entirely ordinary life with her husband and child and never questioned whether life could be any different. But when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, a nagging feeling began to stir inside her.
One day, one of her regular customers came into her salon and told her that he had become a deminer. He spoke about the work with such passion that she decided to give it a try herself. So she left the security of her job, applied for a new position with DanChurchAid, and has not regretted it for a single second:
“I went to work every day feeling that something was missing. I felt a longing to do something that would support Ukraine, whether that was weaving camouflage nets or helping clean up after attacks.”
“Yes, I sit in mud and dirt instead of in the warmth of a salon, and sometimes I work in the rain, but I like it.”
“I really enjoy the work of clearing land with metal detectors. I’ve made many new friends, and I’ve become braver. And when I find something explosive left behind and it gets destroyed, the area becomes safe afterwards. People can use the land, grow crops, or work there. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and peace to know that I haven’t wasted my day.”
“Maybe I’ve always been this way, or maybe the war has changed me. But I think many women in Ukraine feel the same way I do: they want to help their country.”
Viktoriia cannot imagine ever returning to her old life. She loves her new job, and it will take decades before Ukraine’s land is fully cleared.
“In the past, I didn’t think much about life’s big questions. But when something like this happens, you start wondering whether the life you’re living is really the life you want. Whether things could be different. Maybe I’ve been given a second chance to change my life.”
