Fleeing from the war, Natalia came to Poland and ended up in the town of Ząbki. Her daughter quickly met other Ukrainian children, who invited her to join the classes held at the Helping Hand Center. Natalia shared:
“My daughter started attending this center and every time she came back home, she was joyful, happy, and smiling. One day, I went to the center to sign some documents and I stayed on. I started visiting the fitness classes and began to be part of this community. I’m grateful that I’m here.
One day, the center needed a photographer. At that time, I didn’t have the skills to be a photographer, but I volunteered. I admitted that I didn’t have the skills, but I was willing to learn and try. It was an opportunity for me to get more involved and be a part of this place, which I deeply desired. Every opportunity to help others turned out to be a blessing for me.
It was a time in my life when I was asking myself what I wanted to do. It was a period of trying to understand who I am. We left our home in Ukraine and were starting anew. I tried to stay with the team at the Helping Hand center because I saw that it was helping me to discover who I am.
Another opportunity came quickly when the center needed a teacher to teach drawing. I said, ‘I don’t know how, but maybe I can try’.
In Ukraine, I was an accountant, not a drawing teacher. When I started lessons with children, I tried to build these lessons on some theory, but I figured out that it wasn’t very interesting for the children. I started to listen to the children, but at the same time, I started to listen to my heart and my inner self.
Through painting, I discovered that I could do it very well, and I saw it as God’s hand guiding me. It was difficult for me to understand how I could do this because I hadn’t seen this talent in myself before. I was surprised by the results, and now I see it as God using my hands in this way.
I had doubts about my drawing abilities, but when I sat down and started painting, I saw that it worked—I could do it. I realized that what I was doing also had significance for these children.”
The way Natalia teaches children is amazing. We are inspired by her. How can the children draw so well with her help? In today’s class, the children had the opportunity to paint on sandpaper. It’s similar to life—the situations we go through can be tough, sharp, and painful, but something beautiful can always come out of it.
At the end, Natalia told us, “I feel that I want to serve others with what I have. I want to open my studio. I don’t know how to do that, but I have a dream.”
Thank you, our donors, who support us in our efforts and enable us to tell such stories. Your generosity allows us to continue our mission and help people like Natalia find themselves and share their talents with others. Thanks to you, we can continue to create and support a community full of joy and inspiration.