SUCCESS STORY: Oksana Zahoruiko, 40, IDP
Case Study of the BLOOM Program
Oksana is 40. Originally from the Dvorichna district, she had long built her cozy life in Petropavlivka, Kupiansk region. But the war brought trials that are hard to even imagine: occupation, displacement to Kharkiv in 2023, and the most painful loss — the death of her husband, who defended Ukraine until his last breath.
Many would have given up, but not Oksana. Left in a big unfamiliar city with her three-year-old daughter, she decided: “I must be not just a mother, I must be the creator of our new life.”
Watching her native village and home being destroyed, Oksana didn’t just grieve — she felt a calling to rebuild. That’s how the bold decision was born: to change her profession from cook-confectioner to builder. She understands that Ukraine faces a massive reconstruction ahead, and she wants to be at the very heart of it.
Within the BLOOM project, Oksana became a true revelation for the entire group. She doesn’t just attend classes — she absorbs every word of the instructors. When it comes to practice, Oksana is the first to step forward. She confidently takes up heavy tools, installs drywall, and applies plaster. Technical challenges or physical labor don’t scare her.
In Oksana’s hands, a Milwaukee drill looks not like heavy equipment but like a tool for creating a better future. She asks dozens of questions, tests everything herself, and isn’t afraid to make mistakes, because she knows: every new skill is a brick in the foundation of her family’s stability.
After completing the program, Oksana plans to work as a self-employed craftswoman. Today, construction is no longer an experiment for her — it is her new profession and source of stability.
“Every new skill is my confidence in tomorrow. I see the results of my work — and that gives me strength to move forward,” Oksana shares.
Training gave her not only tools but also a new environment. In Kharkiv, where she initially felt lonely, she found a professional circle of support — people with whom she can exchange experience, work together, and grow.
Today Oksana raises her daughter, works in a new field, and gradually builds financial independence. Her plans include expanding the range of services and eventually forming her own team for repair work.
“I no longer wait for change — I create it myself. And I know exactly why I’m doing it,” she says.
The training is organized and implemented by Swisscontact with financial support from the UK government through UK aid under the BLOOM Program. The program is carried out by a consortium including Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Swisscontact, and the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation. Implementation in Kharkiv is conducted through GERZ Construction Association LLC together with EAUA at the premises of RCPO BT KhO.
Oksana during a practical training session. She is mastering a new profession — construction.