February 11, 2025
News
At the age of 49, Tetiana took up a new profession, upgrading her qualifications as a hairdresser-colourist with the help of a mini-grant from Caritas Czech Republic. “My previous job was much more harmful, unlike this one,” she says with a smile, reflecting on her 15 years of work at a metallurgical plant in the frontline town of Kostiantynivka, eastern Ukraine. Today, Tetiana works in a beauty salon and is motivated to improve her skills and stand on her own feet during challenging times.
I was always the hairdresser in our family
Before settling into a rented apartment in Ivano-Frankivsk, far from the frontline, Tetiana, her husband Dmytro and their two younger children lived in a shelter for internally displaced people. Dmytro teaches physical education online for children from Kostiantynivka. Tetiana was also looking for a job in the new place and applied to the employment centre.
“I was offered a hairdressing course, but a week later we were moving again and I was unable to attend. At the same time, I felt that this was my field. I was always the hairdresser in our family: I styled my husband’s and my mum's hair. I loved it,” she recalls.
Tetiana paid for the first course for beginners, saving money while living in the shelter. However, she admits that doubts and fears kept her awake at night.
“I was worried I was taking this money away from my family. What if I failed?” Tetiana shares her reflections.
New skills are a step forward
The training convinced Tetiana that she was on the right path. She soon found a job as a hairdresser in a beauty salon, where she developed a keen interest in hair colouring techniques. However, advanced training with a master was expensive, making it difficult for her to pursue further education. That is why she was happy to learn about the mini-grants for professional development offered by Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine. Tetiana enrolled in an online course on the basics of colouring by an experienced master — an opportunity she is very thankful for.
“I am grateful for such a significant support. New skills are a step forward,” says Tetiana.
According to her, despite the war, the hair colouring service remains in demand, and therefore the masters always have work.
“For me, my job is a form of stress relief,” Tetiana notes with a smile, remembering how she was once told that it was “too late“ to start a new profession at her age. Instead, Tetiana aspires to become a versatile master and practices every day.
“The training gave me self-confidence,” she says.
Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine
Caritas Czech Republic has been helping people in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. In addition to providing much-needed humanitarian aid, we provide shelter to internally displaced people in modular houses in western Ukraine. We are also improving living conditions in dormitories.
In western Ukraine, we support Ukrainians who have decided to stand on their own feet after evacuating from the war zone. Through mini-grants, we support the restoration of livelihoods for people in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and the Transcarpathian region. In 2024, 37 Ukrainians from the war zone and frontline areas received mini-grants for training courses. This helped people affected by the war to rebuild their income sources, develop a career, or start their own business.
In eastern Ukraine, we improve the accessibility and quality of rehabilitation and reproductive medicine by modernising hospitals and educating staff. In the South, we restorе water supply, insulate homes, and provide firewood for heating in frontline villages.
