When Natalia returned to her village in Kherson region two years ago she discovered that her home had been destroyed by a rocket. Now she lives in the house of neighbours, with their permission, as they have fled and not come back.

Aged 72, Natalia lives alone and struggles with poor health. Her sons are in the army and can rarely see their mother. Her day-to-day support comes from caring fellow villagers. The counselling and support team from Blythswood’s partner organisation, Heritage Ukraine, started holding meetings in Natalia’s village this summer, and she describes these sessions as a lifeline.

“I feel that I can talk, that I am listened to and understood,” she says. “Without them, I would continue to live in solitude, focussed only on my problems and illness. Now I go home calmer, with new strength to live day by day.”

She says that while humanitarian aid and the kindness of neighbours has been essential, pastoral support has been completely different: “It’s for the soul.”

And she has observed its effect on neighbours, too. “I see that other people in the village benefit from these meetings and this adds to my joy,” she says. “For me, it is a bright event in the village.”

Yana who works for Heritage Ukraine says: “We try to help people see that God loves them unconditionally, that He is trustworthy even in disaster, and that His eternal hope can restore life and courage for the future.”

In a six-month period, Heritage Ukraine ran support meetings for over 600 people in ten villages in Nikolaev and Kherson regions.

Natalia at coffee art therapy: “I feel that I can talk, that I am listened to and understood.”