Ekaterina was only a few months old when the Nazis invaded her hometown in Ukraine. She lived with her mother, father, and older sister when the city was taken.
While her father went to fight in the army, Ekaterina, her mother and sister, and thousands of Jews were rounded up and taken to a quarry, where they were to be sealed alive inside the tunnels. Ekaterina’s grandparents and great-aunt were among them. Ekaterina and her immediate family were saved when a Christian policeman recognized her mother and helped them escape. They hid in a doghouse until it was safe.
As Ekaterina grew up, she found work and developed a talent for farming and beekeeping. Her family had remained in their hometown throughout the war, and her husband was also a local. Together, they built a life and home. But when the war in Ukraine began in 2022, the shelling became unbearable, forcing them to leave.
Ekaterina says, “It was terrifying to go outside. Shells were exploding everywhere. Our beehives were destroyed. We thought we would stay away for only two months. We left behind our house, our car, our memories—everything. We arrived here with just small bags because we believed we would soon return, but now I know that I will never return. It is already the fifth year. We will never go back. Everything has been destroyed.”
Today, her once-proud farm life is only a memory as Ekaterina lives alone. Her daughter visits and spends the night whenever Ekaterina needs company or feels ill. Her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild moved to Kharkiv because there are not enough opportunities in Ekaterina’s small village to raise a family. At 85 years old and having undergone cancer surgery, Ekaterina needs medicine that her pension cannot cover. Last winter, she sometimes had electricity for only two hours at a time, leaving her without power and heat.
The assistance Ekaterina receives from The Fellowship helps her pay not only for her medicine, but also for food, clothing, and utilities. She keeps a personal letter from Fellowship staff beside her bed. Whenever she looks at it, she knows that someone is thinking about her.
She sends her thanks to donors: “Thank you so much for everything you are doing for me. The Fellowship helps me financially and provides food. I am so grateful.”