Finding meaning in war and chaos

“The best way to feel better when you're not feeling well is to help others who are worse off,” says Ukrainian Tetiana Chevala. She copes with war trauma and life as a refugee by engaging in volunteer work and creative activities. 

 

By Caritas At the resource center in Oslo, Tetiana has worked in the guidance service as part of her internship during the introductory course that all refugees who come to Norway receive. She would like to continue as a volunteer in Caritas . 

– It is important to me. In Ukraine I had good contact with Caritas and then how much aid from Caritas meant to people. It's nice to help different people. It's helped me too. It's help for self-help, she says. 

Volunteered during the flight 

Tetiana was born and raised in Donbass, Ukraine, but worked in Kiev and lived seven kilometers from Bucha and five kilometers from Gostomel when Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022. Just a few days later, her home was bombed to pieces and she and her son miraculously survived, but she lost her father in the attack. Still in shock, she and her son made it to safety and eventually onto an evacuation train to Lviv, then to a small town on the border with Poland. Since Tetiana’s son was over 18, they were not allowed to cross the border, but were housed in a vocational school. There they were given time to recover from all the drama they had been through. They had nothing with them, but the people of the small town helped them with the food and belongings they needed. As a thank you, Tetiana started helping out at the church, later organizing after-school activities at a camp for orphans and art therapy for children with various traumas and special needs. 

Wants to realize himself as an artist 

Tetiana is a mechanical engineer by training and had a successful management career in her home country. Starting over in a new country, while stress, anxiety, loss and grief dominate her thoughts, is not easy. As a refugee without diplomas and certificates that prove her competence, it is difficult to find a relevant job in Norway, but Tetiana is optimistic.  

– I miss my son and dream that he will soon be able to cross the border. But I choose to see my time in Norway as a new start and an opportunity to realize myself as an artist, she says. 

Creative activities have always been a welcome hobby for her. Ever since childhood, Tetiana has enjoyed making beautiful things. She paints, makes macramé, designs and sews clothes and does “decoupage”, which is a special technique for decorating various surfaces, such as cutting boards, dressers, plates and tables. Her work has both been exhibited and won awards. Tetiana has already organized courses in decoupage at the library in Lillestrøm, where she now lives. 

Being creative helps with both grief and loss, she believes. The war has taught her something important: 

– Don't put anything off until later. Today is all you have. Appreciate every moment and those around you!