In the small city of Barvinkove, Kharkiv oblast, Olena and her family are rebuilding not just their farm, but their future—against the backdrop of war.

Before the full-scale invasion, Olena lived a peaceful life with her husband, two daughters, and elderly mother. The family raised chickens and piglets, both for their own needs and to earn a modest income from sales in the local market. Their farm was their livelihood—and their pride.

But everything changed in March 2022. As Russian forces advanced toward Barvinkove, the family was forced to flee. “We only managed to take our cat and dog,” Olena recalls. “We had to let all the other animals go.” She evacuated with her daughters to Poland, but just three weeks later—after the de-occupation of nearby Izyum—they returned home, unwilling to stay away any longer.

What they found was heartbreaking: missile remnants in their yard, weeds taller than a person, and the signs of war everywhere. Miraculously, their house and outbuildings had survived with only minor damage. But survival came with new challenges.

The family scraped by on Olena’s mother’s pension—just 4,000 hryvnias a month (around €83)—and occasional part-time work. They had to cut back on essentials: medicine, heating, and sometimes even food. “I never stopped thinking about how to restore the farm,” Olena admits.

With no savings, no access to loans, and no one able to help, restarting the farm seemed impossible. Then, help arrived.

Through the Estonian Refugee Council’s Emergency Livelihoods Programme, funded by the European Union, Olena received a grant that changed things. With it, she purchased chickens, two piglets, and enough feed to get started. Within weeks, the hens began laying eggs—and soon, the family had customers eager to buy fresh, local produce.

“Within the first 6 months, the chickens have already paid for themselves. Now we’re finally earning a profit,” Olena says.

Today, the family is once again doing what they love. They raise chickens and pigs, run a small greenhouse, and dream of expanding. “We want to add broilers and turkeys,” Olena shares. “Maybe one day we’ll open a full farm and even create jobs for others.”

Yet, life is far from safe. Barvinkove lies just 40 km from Sloviansk and 60 km from Kramatorsk—areas still heavily impacted by ongoing hostilities. “The shelling has become more frequent,” Olena says. “It’s frightening. But we’re staying. We don’t want to leave again. We believe in better days.”

Emergency Livelihoods Programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Estonian Refugee Council in Ukraine in partnership with Acted.