One Vacancy That Almost Destroyed a Life

In difficult life circumstances, the search for work often becomes a matter of urgency. There is not always an opportunity to check the conditions or the employer, and it is precisely at such moments that the risks of dangerous offers increase.

Alina is a teacher of Ukrainian language with nearly 30 years of experience. In 2024, her family found itself in a difficult financial situation: she lost her job, and her husband was unable to work due to disability. The responsibility for supporting the family fell on her.

While looking for earnings, Alina came across an advertisement in a newspaper. The offer was for a cleaning job in a private household: UAH 1,500 per day, free accommodation and meals. The conditions seemed clear and safe, so she agreed.

The offer turned out to be a trap. Alina fell into labour exploitation: her phone and documents were taken away, and she was forbidden to leave the territory. In addition to cleaning, she was forced to perform hard physical labour and work 14-16 hours without pay. Any attempts to leave were accompanied by pressure and threats.

Due to exhaustion, her health sharply deteriorated. When her condition became critical, no help was provided - the woman was simply driven out and left on the roadside. Thanks to caring people, she managed to return home.

It is in such situations that the NGO “Dzherelo Nadii Ukrainy” works, providing psychological, legal, social, and economic assistance. The organization is a member of the Counter–Trafficking NGO Coalition and contributes to the development of systemic solutions in this field.

Psychological support helped stabilize the emotional state and gradually restore a sense of safety. Legal assistance provided an understanding of the next steps for protecting rights.

An important stage was restoring the ability to work. Within the project, Alina was provided with a laptop, which made it possible for her to return to teaching online and gradually stabilize her income.

The family’s basic needs were also partially covered, which reduced the daily burden and made it possible to focus on recovery.

This path was not quick, but timely support helped her get through it and move forward