In the village of Vozdvizhenske, in the Yampil region, everyone knows that you cannot do without a reliable tool on earth. Nadia has been living here for almost ten years. Her daily schedule is written in minutes: the woman works as a social worker. Her wards are — elderly people who need support in everyday life: go to the store, bring medicine, help with documents or just be there. "What they ask, I try to do. Everything that goes into our services I do for grandparents", she says. In parallel with the work, Nadiya runs her own farm —, together with her family, cultivates the land, plants a vegetable garden, and plans how to better arrange her life in the village.

From Facebook ads to real help

The history of Nadiya's participation in the project to support livelihoods from among IDPs and the war-affected local rural population from among vulnerable categories of the Shostky territorial community of the Sumy region began with a publication that the woman saw on Facebook, and later a message from the village council.

"I have never participated in similar projects before, — admits Nadiya. — I saw the publication and thought: what if I'm lucky? I read the list of what you can buy: both animals and equipment for the garden. I also thought about the freezer — for a large family, it is very necessary. I also thought about the walk-behind tractor, because there is land, and it is difficult to cultivate by hand".

The family cultivates more than 20 acres of land: 15 acres in the field and another seven near the house. With such a volume, manual labor takes too much effort, so Nadiya still decided to apply for the purchase of a walk-behind tractor.

"Thought we were already in flight"

The process of processing the aid was clear: online application, waiting period and data verification. Nadiya recalls that at some point she began to doubt her success, when rumors spread around the village that payments had already begun, and she had not yet received a call.

"I thought, well, that's all, we must be in flight. But when the — confirmation call finally rang, she was very happy", she says.

After signing the contract in Shostka, the funds arrived in the account within two weeks. Nadiya was most worried about the documentary part: that the checks from the store were drawn up correctly and the reporting went without comments. However, the fears turned out to be in vain — project specialists helped to understand all the nuances, and the report was accepted the first time.

An indispensable assistant in the village

Today, the new walk-behind tractor has already become part of the family's daily life. It is already used for soil cultivation and as a universal transport for economic needs.

"We already drove for firewood and a neighbor, and we carried grain. We use it actively. In the village, without such equipment, now there is nowhere —, which is a 100% necessary thing. It doesn't just make things easier, it gives confidence that we will handle everything ourselves and not depend on someone else", says Nadia. The assistance provided has become a practical resource for the family, which is actively used in the household and has greatly simplified daily work on the land plot.

The project implemented by the NGO "Association for Democratic Development" together with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ukraine with the support of the Federal Government of Germany became an opportunity for Nadiya's family not just to get equipment, but to strengthen the foundation of their well-being in difficult times.