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Two Ukrainians in Berlin – one fled from the war;
the other wants to help his compatriots from here.
We met Kateryna Khomenko and Andriy Ilin in the spring of this year.
Now we want to know: what is the life of a refugee like today?
And what challenges are the aid workers facing now, ten months after the start of the war?
Kateryna Khomenko rediscovered an old passion in Berlin - the theatre.
The 37-year-old has been a member of a Ukrainian theater group for two months, half of which consists of refugees.
A place to exchange ideas, because many here are like you - loneliness, language problems, concerns about relatives and the uncertain future are problems for many of the around one million Ukrainians who have sought protection in Germany since February.
Kateryna plays »trap« in the performance piece, which deals with the trauma of war and flight.
The play was written by the Ukrainian author and director Pavlo Kravtsiv this summer especially for the Ukrainian theater in Berlin.
OT Kateryna Khomenko
»The play is about us, about refugees. On the one hand we're dancing around happily in pajamas, on the other hand it's a tragedy.«
Flashback, May this year: Kateryna lives in Berlin with a host family and has also found a job - as a seasonal helper in a beer garden.
As a recognized Ukraine refugee, she automatically has a work permit - and a lack of German language skills is not a problem for this job.
In her hometown of Odessa, Khomenko studied economics and worked as an accountant and tourist guide.
OT Kateryna Khomenko
“I don't see this as a step backwards. I love this work. I still have to learn more about Berlin and Germany, how things work here. Maybe later I can get a job at a museum.«
Today, half a year later - disillusionment.
Everything is going much slower than expected.
Kateryna still lives with the host family.
Her seasonal employment contract expired in September, since then she has been unemployed and receives money from the job center.
For Kateryna - as for many other refugees - a lack of German is the biggest hurdle.
And then there is the Berlin housing market.
OT Kateryna Khomenko
»I don't understand why you invite 100 people to a flat tour. In the end, 99 percent of them are rejected anyway.«
Another problem: Kateryna needs translation help for every form, every application, but there are now far fewer volunteers than there were in the spring.
Andriy Ilin also experienced this.
The lawyer comes from the Ukraine and is involved in the Berlin association Ukraine-Hilfe.
At the Christmas market in front of Charlottenburg Palace, the association sells Ukrainian specialties and handicrafts to raise money for aid transport.
OT Andriy Ilin, Ukraine Help eV
»Every month it has become less and less… everyone has gotten used to the fact that there is war, donations both in money and in kind have decreased.«
That was different in the spring.
May 2022: Germans are very willing to help, the war in Ukraine has set a new donation record: 3.8 billion euros have been raised by September, plus countless donations in kind.
Ilin's association collects the donated food and hygiene products in a church in Berlin, and a transport leaves for the Ukraine every few days.
Dozens of volunteer helpers, Ukrainians and Germans, take care of the organization, and Ilin himself is in constant contact with aid organizations in Ukraine.
OT Andriy Ilin, Ukraine Help eV
'I've just spoken to people at the front, some things can only be discussed face-to-face.
What are they reporting?
It runs!"
Today, around ten months after the start of the war, Ilin is no longer just concerned with donations.
At the Christmas market, between brass bands and mulled wine stands, he wants to raise awareness that war is raging in Eastern Europe.
His club is showing a photo exhibition about the destruction in Ukraine.
Ilin's demands on politicians are the same as in the spring.
OT Andriy Ilin, Ukraine Help eV
»We need weapons to defend our country... German government is delaying everything.«
Almost a fifth of the refugees from Ukraine work regularly, around half attend a language course and almost 40 percent want to stay for at least a few years or even permanently.
Kateryna Khomenko would also like to learn German, find her own apartment and work, even if it takes longer than initially planned.
At the moment only the theater gives her some stability and optimism.
OT Kateryna Khomenko
“I'm 37 now and it feels like I'm starting all over again. But that's okay, I got this chance and I will use it, work - and live.«
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»trap« is organized by Plast – Ukrainian Boy Scout Association in Berlin eV and funded by the German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering.