A cheerful black dog dashes around the backyard farm of Liubov Yakovleva, greeting any and all visitors with a wag of not just his tail but his entire body. This four-legged friend, Karandash, helps keep Liubov from feeling lonely now that her husband has passed away and her children and grandchildren can only visit on holidays or vacations. It was, in fact, her grandchildren’s idea to give her this ball of energy so that their grandmother would not feel so alone in her village of Vyshneve, situated in the Dnipropetrovska oblast of southeastern Ukraine.
Playing with the dog, Liubov recounts her story of how she was born in a concentration camp in Germany during the Second World War. “When World War II started, my father went to the partisans and my mother, being pregnant at the time, was taken to the concentration camp,” recalled Liubov. “I was born during the war, far from my native country. And now, at the end of my life, I face war again, in my homeland.”
Liubov never thought she would have to experience war again, but now her primary concern is for her children and grandchildren.
“My heart cries for all the children who, like me when I was a child, suffer from this war.”
In her small backyard, Liubov grows vegetables to support herself and her family. When she received cash assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the summer of 2022, she used it not only to support her own basic needs but also those of her grandchildren, even though they live far away.
“I spent this money on my grandchildren. We bought school supplies, some food and firewood for the winter heating season," added Liubov.
“I didn't even think I would get any money. I did not believe it at first,” said Liubov, with tears in her eyes. “I am grateful to FAO for this help and to everyone who helped me to apply and receive the assistance.”
