MEET YANA L

I consider myself a very happy person. My whole life, on the inside and the outside, is surrounded by love and beauty. I chose to become an artist because I wanted to create new things and share my inner experiences with others. The main theme of my work is the exploration of happiness. I advanced, gained strength, and always found the greatest pleasure in helping others. But I could not imagine that I would suddenly find myself on the other side and I would be the one who has to ask for help.

Of all the life’s trials, this lesson is special for me. Recognizing my helplessness, I open the support of the world, I meet people with open hearts, real magicians and people of the greatest human abilities on my way.

Meanings and scopes of everything has shifted. Instability became the strongest  pillar of support for me over the past year. The unknown ignites the interest in testing my capabilities. Responsibility makes me carry on.

I ended up in New York by accident, at first I thought it was for a couple of weeks, then I realized that our stay would have to be extended to a couple of months. Now my son and I have been here for exactly one year, I believe that this is the best place for people like us. Everyone who came here was once in the same situation, no matter if it happened 20 or 200 years ago.

Every country, city, and organization consists of people and their actions. Ukrainian Habitat Fund (UHF) appeared in my life at a time of complete despair. And now I'm overwhelmed with feelings and it's hard to find the right words to thank them for the help they gave us. I am eternally grateful for all the care, support, protection, concrete actions that give strength to live and feel like a person and look to the future with hope in the time that has been the most difficult for many of us.

Thank you for the happiness of having a roof over your head! Thank you for the happiness of waking up in our own bed! Thank you for the happiness of feeling like a small part of this big world.

I dream, no, I believe that I will gain strength, I will be able to develop further as a person and as an artist, continue my creative path, that I will have the opportunity to sincerely thank UHF and help others again, but at a completely new, higher level.