Overcoming war and loneliness: the story of Katia

Katia arrived in Italy at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when she was 30 years old. She was received in an SAI in the Milan area and asked for psychological support because of a strong feeling of loss: she could not understand herself, felt lonely and without reference points. She got to know our service thanks to the help of the operators of the host facility.

We started our meetings fortnightly, and over time, Katia began to trust and open up. She always came in attendance, at the Carmel Church. When we first met, she was 33 years old and originally from Mariupol, a city razed to the ground by war. Her family moved to a city in western Ukraine, while she found herself completely alone in Italy, not knowing anyone. She experienced numerous bombings, experiences that remained etched in her memory, to which were added painful episodes during migration, such as the lack of food or a safe place to sleep.

The first step was to work on trust and emotional stability. Gradually Katia began to feel more secure and ready to think about the future, and began to build plans for life in Italy. She found an Italian language school and started a job as a waitress in a bar. She also found a literary class, taking the poems she was writing. She always dreamed of attending university, and together we gathered useful information to understand what was needed to enroll in business school. Thanks to her good level of Italian, she was able to pass selection this year and was admitted to a university in Milan, thus becoming a student.

Katia also participated in an art therapy course organized by WASI in collaboration with an art therapist, an experience that satisfied her greatly, allowing her to express her emotions creatively and artistically. She also continues to actively participate in group meetings with other women from the WASI project.

She has not yet decided where she will live in the future, whether in Italy or in Ukraine where her family lives. For now, however, her situation allows her to live like a woman of her age while facing numerous difficulties.