Impossible decisions
The unimaginable began the day before my son’s ninth birthday. We had prepared a party at our home in Kyiv and invited many of his friends, but the morning before the celebration we were woken up by explosions. After calling everyone in our family to make sure they were OK, my husband and I drove out of the city with our son and our cat. There were traffic jams everywhere and you could see how scared everyone was. People were walking through the streets with their luggage because they didn’t know how to get away. There were no buses or trains running, the city was completely sealed off. It took us 26 hours to reach the border and by that time it had already been announced that men were no longer allowed to leave the country. At that moment we had to make another impossible decision: do we stay together as a family or stay apart? We decided to stay together.
It was very difficult to find accommodation because everyone was trying to escape, so we slept in our car for three days until friends of my husband’s colleague offered us a free room in Lviv. That was the first time we realised how kind people can be and we stayed there for a month. Back in Kyiv, it became impossible to get food and the shops emptied out. At the time I was working for a large agribusiness and was able to help our family by organising food parcels to places where they had production facilities. However, at that point we realised that this was not a safe environment for our son, so we made the impossible decision to split up as a family so that I and my son could leave Ukraine.
The kindness of strangers
I started looking for a place where we would be safe and where I could work. I thought I would have a better chance of finding a job in Switzerland, so I took my husband’s car and drove 1700 kilometers with my son, the longest journey of our lives. I found someone on a portal who supported Ukrainians and they gave us accommodation. It felt like the whole world was so helpful. I never expected such generosity. It was incredible how much help people offered and how warm they were.
When we arrived, I had to figure out how to register, where to apply for refugee status, and what the procedures were in this new country. A few days after we arrived, my son started school in Switzerland, which was incredibly stressful because he didn’t speak German. Even though he had basic English, he struggled. While you’re trying to figure all of this out, you know your family back home is without power or running water and you need to find a way to continue supporting them. You’re internally battling with the hope that the situation will only last a few weeks, while also knowing that you should probably make a medium to long-term plan.
A new career, mentoring and the importance of giving
I started looking for jobs and sent my CV everywhere. I was so motivated to work but it is not easy when you have refugee status. Employers hesitate because they invest in training and hire someone they don’t know how long the person will stay. For the first time, I really learned the importance of building networks, making contacts and not being afraid to approach people. Through a recommendation from someone I met who worked at Novartis, I was invited to my first interview and after more interviews, I received my temporary job offer. I joined Novartis in August 2022 as a Project Manager Specialist in Technical R&D and later, in January 2024, took up my current position as Junior Project Manager Donations and Volunteering.
At first, it was difficult for me to talk about my experiences because I didn’t want to be seen as a refugee. People can be misjudged as not being educated or having no experience working for large, international corporations. However, my manager trusted in my potential and ability to become a valued member of her team. To be honest, it was challenging because the pharmaceutical industry was new to me, but I was offered various courses and training to help me integrate. It was an incredible feeling to finally be financially independent and part of society. I received a lot of support and training throughout the recruitment process and felt really welcomed by my team.
What really made a difference for me was having a mentor. I was going through the worst time of my life and my mentor Caroline helped me a lot psychologically – she boosted my confidence and offered me her lasting friendship.
Thanks to my new networking skills, I have made wonderful connections, for example with Estelle, Global Head of Giving & Volunteering at Novartis. She supports me in my current role where I lead the company’s efforts to hire and train refugees. I speak to people forced to leave their homes around the world and support them because I understand their experiences and challenges. I have had to find so many solutions on my own and without help and wish I had someone who has already gone through such an intense change in their life. For this reason, I am determined to make life easier for others who are seeking help. There is still a lot to do, but the impact of this program is incredible: it opens doors for refugees and other marginalized groups and enables our people to make a difference by helping the most vulnerable.
reflections
Before the war I had goals and achievements, but when you go through something like this they are not so important anymore. What is important is that everyone is alive and safe. So now I am here while my husband still lives in Kyiv. This is our life, our normal everyday life, and unfortunately my son is growing up without his father. Everyone has their own story; sometimes we just need to be listened to and given the opportunity to talk about our experiences. Luckily I have the support here to do that.
The current refugee crisis is one of the world’s greatest humanitarian challenges, so we have expanded our approach to include not only monetary and medical donations, but also volunteer work, housing, mentoring, education, employee donations and community activities for refugees around the world. Find out more HERE.
