My name is Galina Lakhtadyr, I am a mother of four children. I am raising them alone.
In Belarus, I worked in a kindergarten and a school, with orphans and children with disabilities. And in 2022, I moved from my native Slutsk to Poland. The reason was political pressure on children.
In 2020, they, like many others, could not turn a blind eye to what was happening in the country. For example, the eldest son worked for the security forces in a music orchestra, but he quit. Then he was expelled from the University of Culture in Minsk — he left at the beginning of 2021. Then they began to put pressure on the middle son — he was called in for questioning, and this happened at the college where he studied. In the end, I had to quit the school, where they pressured me with slander that I was an “alcoholic”. The last straw was calls from the criminal investigation department and a call to my son from the military registration and enlistment office.
When we arrived in Poland in early February 2022, it was hard for us. We were left alone with the problems. But with your help, we coped.
My two sons and I found work. The salaries were not so big that we could save, but they were enough to live on. Moreover, we lived almost all together (my daughter moved to another city). The youngest is only 11 years old, she is still a child. She is doing best here, she has adapted.
Unfortunately, three years later, a new misfortune happened, and I am forced to ask you for help again. I worked as an assistant cook in a restaurant on the basis of a contract, which does not really protect employees. And in early April, I ended up in the hospital — I had an operation to remove a hernia. Now I will not be able to work for at least a month, and for another two months I need to severely limit my physical activity.
In such a situation, when only the eldest son works (the middle one lost his job), we need help. We need to pay for the apartment and live on something. But what we have is not enough to last even in May. It is very difficult for me, I take antidepressants. From time to time I cry, because I do not understand why I should solve all the issues and problems alone. But I believe that everything will work out. In such difficult times, our family united — I have wonderful children. So everything will be fine, we just need to find the strength to fight on.
And thanks to everyone who will help us!
How much is needed?
€1800
€1000 — rent of an apartment until I can work
€300 — medicine
€500 — food and household expenses
I need medicine and a diet after the operation.