“Our family is strong because of our mother”: the story of one family surviving Kyiv’s harsh winter

Starting life from scratch

After the move, the family had many challenges to overcome, like housing, healthcare, documents and administrative support, at the same time as looking for employment.

But when they met Yana, a social worker, they found the support they so desperately needed. 

“She helped us with so many things: signing declarations with doctors, enrolling the children in school and kindergarten, finding a job. These may seem like routine tasks, but at that time they were incredibly important to us,” Anna says.

Social support helps families facing difficult life circumstances access the services they need. Social workers help families navigate a new community, complete paperwork, find the necessary services, and manage daily challenges.

A winter that became a true ordeal

This winter brought even more difficulties. Due to attacks and the lack of electricity and heating, the family’s apartment became damp, and the wallpaper began peeling off the walls.

“The apartment looks intact from the outside, but inside it has been heavily damaged. It’s damp and cold. For my child with asthma, this is very difficult,” the mother explains.

During massive attacks, the family spent hours sitting in the corridor, waiting for the danger to pass.

“We spent every attack in the corridor… and in the cold.”

Support that helped the family through winter

In this challenging period, the family received assistance to make their home more comfortable for the children. An electronic certificate from UNICEF allowed them to purchase essential items to better cope with the freezing days and nights..

“We bought warm blankets, pillows, bedding. It’s cold at home, so this was exactly what we needed,” Anna says.

This kind of assistance allows families to decide for themselves what their most urgent needs are and to provide their children with necessary items.

Having a professional by your side

Yana says that the workload for social workers increased significantly this winter. .

“I currently work with 61 families. Due to attacks and problems with heat and electricity, people are facing more difficulties, so they contact our centre more often,” she explains.

The extremely harsh winter became a serious challenge for millions of people in Kyiv and across Ukraine and placed enormous pressure on the social sector, as the number of people needing urgent assistance grew sharply.

In Kyiv alone, as of February 2026, the number of people per one social worker increased to almost 18, compared to the usual 10–11. The need for additional funding and workforce in the social sector is more urgent than ever. To cover the shortage of approximately 33,000 specialists (RDNA4 data), it is essential to improve the level of access to social services for Ukrainians, which currently stands at less than 20% (Ministry of Social Policy).

Dreams despite the war

Despite the difficult circumstances, the children continue to dream about the future. Anna’s eldest daughter, Oleksandra, already knows what she wants to become.

The children say that the greatest strength of their family is their mother.

“Our family is strong because of our mom. She is always optimistic, positive, and supports us.”

According to Anna, children sense everything. So when she shows them that everything will be alright and encourages them to believe in better days, this belief brings calmness and confidence to her children.