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Oksana Solodukhina from Dnipro is a vivid example of how war forces people to seek a
better life and overcome incredible hardships. She is one of thousands of Ukrainians who fled Russian aggression and found refuge in Lithuania.
Rough start and search for self
The first months in Lithuania were full of disappointments and exhausting
and exhausting work. With two degrees and a master's degree in marketing, Oksana faced a serious language barrier. "Without Lithuanian, even with good English, all managerial positions were out of my reach," she says.
She found a way out unexpectedly - a job as a dishwasher in a pizzeria. The 12-14 hours
on their feet were physically exhausting, but it was the only way to earn at least some money.
"One day I just physically couldn't go to work," Oksana recalls.
That moment was a turning point. The hard physical labour demotivated not only her, but
also her 12-year-old daughter, who saw her mother with two degrees working as a dishwasher.
It was for the sake of her children that Oksana decided to look for another job. She
plunged into the beauty industry, helping Ukrainian manicurists find materials. Although it wasn't a long-term prospect, it gave her the opportunity to communicate with fellow Ukrainians.
My next job was in an exotic fruit boutique in Kaunas. A nice team, a good salary - only
the long distance from home and the children's school spoiled everything. Oksana was again faced with a choice: work or family. She chose her family.
Studying and a new opportunity
In the summer of 2023, like many Ukrainians, Oksana hoped for the
the end of the war. The family decided to stay in Lithuania, and Oksana began to actively study Lithuanian and English. She even took a hairdressing course and became a certified European stylist.
Her zeal did not go unnoticed. Oksana successfully passed an interview and was offered
the position of project manager at Savik Shuster's OpenMind Foundation.
Helping other Ukrainians
The Foundation provides information support to Ukrainian refugees on various
issues: documents, healthcare, language courses, housing and job search.
"Our organisation is a kind of bridge that helps Ukrainians to find the information they need," says Oksana. The chatbot created by the foundation already has more than 45,000 users.
Oksana Solodukhina's story is an example of incredible willpower,
hard work and faith in a better future. She went from a dishwasher to a project manager, helping other Ukrainians adapt to Lithuania. Her fate is just one of many stories of Ukrainians who, fleeing the war, found the strength to start their lives from scratch.