In the spring, Yury broke his shoulder, which prevented him from finding a job. Now he faces several more months of rehabilitation, but his money is running out, and he cannot even cover rent.
My name is Yury Degtyaryov. At the age of 21, in 2020, I was forced to leave my homeland: I took part in the protests, helped prepare samizdat, and distributed press materials that the regime considers extremist.
I have now been in Ukraine for four years. With the start of the war, I worked as a volunteer: first at a humanitarian aid warehouse, later at the warehouse of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as an ordinary loader. Now I am volunteering with the organization People’s Self-Defense of Lviv Region.
Since October 2023, I have been preparing and publishing a newspaper-digest about Belarus and Belarusians called «Вісник»in the Ukrainian language, to tell Ukrainians about us. The main goal of the newspaper is to show people that Belarusians are not enemies and that they share the same goals as Ukrainians. I also write about repression at home, about volunteers. My apartment in Lviv has already become a meeting place for local Belarusians. And when someone comes to our city for various reasons, they also often stay with me.
But now I have difficulties with work: my temporary residence permit, issued on the basis of volunteer activity, does not allow me to work legally. So far, friends have been helping me a lot. In the spring, I finally had a chance for a more or less stable salary, but in May, while rushing to pick up the latest issue of «Вісник», I fell badly and suffered a complex fracture of my right shoulder. For almost two months I was unable to work. Of course, no employer waited for me that long.
Because of losing my job, I am now in a difficult situation. I have a major problem with paying for housing, and rehabilitation will still take about three more months, according to doctors. During this time, I plan to resolve the issue of employment, but I urgently need help to cover rent. Even though the apartment is inexpensive, at this moment even that sum is beyond my means, so I have to appeal to you.
Thank you so much to everyone for any donation!
Fundraising goal
€1500
€1200 – housing for four months
€300 – three months of rehabilitation