Starting a new chapter in life

Anna Shabalina, 45, lives in Tbilisi with her mother, husband and two children. Her family was displaced twice: first, during the occupation of Crimea, and again in March 2022, when they made the difficult journey from Kyiv to Tbilisi.

“In 2014, we could not believe that they could so easily seize our territory,” recalls Anna. “We thought that everything would change. We waited for a long time for things to get better, but when our last hope ran out, we moved to Kyiv. In 2022, when the war started, we decided to go to Tbilisi. Our cousin lived there, so this also determined our choice.”

This time too, they believed that the war would end soon and that they would not have to stay as guests for long. Two months later, however, they realized that they were wrong, so they rented a modest house and thought about starting a new life.

Anna is a psychiatrist and has worked in her own profession for years. She also graduated from the Faculty of Public Health Management. Before arriving in Georgia, due to the pandemic, she was helping colleagues manage COVID-19 patients. In Tbilisi, however, she discovered that she was unable to work as a health professional.

“It was a very difficult period of confusion,” says Anna. “I did not know the language, and I was in such a difficult psychological state myself that I could not provide counselling to anyone, so I started working as a housekeeper. Then I met a woman in my client’s family who needed assistants to decorate parties. That’s how my husband and I ended up in a completely new field.”

Gradually, the couple became very skilled in decorating festive spaces, organizing receptions and preparing various event areas for different functions. At the same time, Anna also began to participate in events organized by the Georgian-Ukrainian Platform. At that time, the platform, with the support of UN Women and funding from the Japanese Government, was implementing a new project. The initiative included support for 87 Ukrainian women in terms of mental health, professional and personal development, education and employment. The participants underwent group and individual therapy sessions, attended educational courses, deepened their employment skills and received knowledge necessary for starting or developing a business. The project also provided funding for the business ideas of the participants.

“I decided to try joining the new project,” says Anna. “My husband and I did not have our own tools and equipment for the events, so we had to ask for them or rent them. My business project was related to financing the necessary funds for the acquisition of those tools. I was very happy when my idea was approved, and I happened to be among the 12 women who received a grant.”

After purchasing the tools, Anna’s work became easier. Now she is taking on increasingly complex orders. Customer satisfaction has also increased, and Anna’s income has almost doubled.

“I had never made anything with my own hands, so it is still hard for me to believe that I am building this business from the screech ,” Anna reflects. “When I receive positive feedback, my confidence strengthens, and I feel that my children are also very proud of me. Support is very important, as it not only helps you financially but also gives you the necessary knowledge and skills, introduces you to new people and helps you navigate a difficult reality. This is a great incentive.” Anna is already thinking about opening her own event planning agency. She says that the time has come to take matters into her own hands, although she has not given up her profession as a psychiatrist: She gives free consultations to her compatriots and works as an art therapist in a Ukrainian kindergarten.

The initiative, implemented in cooperation with the Georgian-Ukrainian Platform, became part of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia project “Strengthening the Resilience of Ukrainian Refugee Women and Girls in Host Countries”, funded by the Government of Japan.