Leaving Kramatorsk Two Months Before Her 90th Birthday: The Story of Alina Kuzmivna, Evacuated by East SOS
Alina Kuzmivna was born into a military family and spent her childhood moving from city to city. She lived in many parts of Ukraine, but it was Kramatorsk that eventually became her true home.
Her professional life spanned more than 40 years. She worked at a factory, served as a storekeeper, once dreamed of becoming a driver, and later mastered one of the most demanding professions – working as a crane operator at the Donbasbud industrial enterprise. After years of hard work, she and her husband received a two-room apartment in the city center, which became a symbol of stability and a source of deep family happiness.
Life, however, brought profound losses. Alina Kuzmivna outlived her husband, then her mother, and later her son. One by one, her closest family members were gone. During the hardest times, she was supported and cared for by her two nieces. When the security situation in Kramatorsk became critically dangerous, it was they who contacted the East SOS call center to arrange her evacuation and save her life.
Alina Kuzmivna often says that her life has passed in the blink of an eye.
“Everyone was once there for me – and now there is no one,” she says.
Still, Alina Kuzmivna is not alone. She has other relatives – her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, who now live in the United States and whom she deeply longs to reunite with. Despite the losses, displacement, and a life path approaching a hundred years, Alina Kuzmivna remains optimistic and values every day she is given.
The East SOS team helped the woman reach the transit center in Pavlohrad (Dnipropetrovsk region) and arranged all the necessary support. Today, Alina Kuzmivna lives at the Center for Social Adaptation for People with Disabilities of the NGO Ocean of Good in Dnipro. A social worker assisted her in applying for financial support, and a nurse at the center scheduled a medical examination. Based on the results, the woman was hospitalized for further treatment.
Since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, together with our partners, we have helped evacuate more than 95,000 people, including over 15,000 individuals with limited mobility.
You can sign up for evacuation from Monday to Saturday (8:00 AM – 6:00 PM) at 0 800 332 614.
Or contact us via messengers:
- Viber: +38 (099) 710 48 72;
- Telegram: +38 (096) 108 60 48.
Evacuation is carried out as part of the project “Comprehensive Support and Protection of Vulnerable Categories of Evacuees”, implemented by East SOS with the financial support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
Recently, we shared the story of 76-year-old Hanna from Oleksandrivka.
