The war in Ukraine, which is lasting for more than three years, continues to prevent Ukrainians from returning to their homeland, so they are trying to settle in Lithuania. To support them, the International Organization for Migration (IOM Lithuania) for the second time is providing financial assistance to Ukrainians who wish to start or grow their own businesses in Lithuania.

“Our goal is to help people create jobs for themselves and secure a livelihood. One of the main expectations among Ukrainians is financial stability, so we strive to meet this need. By providing financial assistance to those starting small businesses, we hope it will be easier for them to establish themselves in Lithuania,” says Eglė Staškūnaitė, Head of the Migrant Assistance and Crisis Response Unit at IOM Lithuania.

Marharyta Sadyhova came to Lithuania from the Dnipropetrovsk region, from the city of Shakhtarsk. As she explains, she had purchased a ticket to Lithuania for February 24, 2022, but since the war broke out that very day, she didn’t manage to leave.

“I had been following the political situation and realized months in advance that war was inevitable. My son-in-law is Lithuanian, so I persuaded my daughter and her family to leave everything behind and move to Lithuania,” Marharyta recalls. She herself joined her children as soon as she had the opportunity—in March 2022. The family bought a house in Šalčininkai district so there would be enough space for all four grandchildren.

Marharyta shares that she used to raise sheep in Ukraine—not many, just five or six—so after arriving in Lithuania, she decided to continue the activity. With support from IOM Lithuania, she was able to purchase more sheep and now owns over 20. She’s happy that lamb is popular in Lithuania and that she has a steady base of customers. Since her sheep graze freely, she knows the product is high-quality.

Of course, I miss home — the place where everything is familiar and dear to me — but now, going back is simply not an option. What matters most to me is that my grandchildren grow up in a safe environment, without having their childhood taken away from them. And when the whole family is together, I feel at peace too,” says Marharyta.

Psychologist Hanna Miroshnichenko explains that she arrived in Lithuania from Dnipro. “At the beginning of the war, together with colleagues working in Lithuania’s IT sector and with support from the organization ‘Stiprūs kartu’, we coordinated evacuations of people from Kharkiv, Lysychansk, and Bakhmut to Dnipro. From there, we arranged daily departures to Lithuania and other countries. I came to Lithuania myself with my daughter on one of those buses at the end of March 2022” Hanna says.

She continued working throughout this period—organizing remote consultations and preparing evacuation lists. Once in Lithuania, she started working at a psychiatric hospital in a department focused on providing assistance to war refugees. Now, she runs her own private psychology practice, where she offers support to those in need. “Thanks to the financial support from IOM Lithuania, I was able to open my own office and offer consultations. This is very important to me as it allows me to establish myself and provide a secure future for my child,” says Hanna. She chose Lithuania because she already knew some people here, and the cultural similarities between the countries made the transition easier.

“At the moment, I have no place to return to — the city where my parents live is under occupation, so returning is simply not an option. That’s why we are making plans in Lithuania and hope to make them a reality”, Hanna says with optimism.

Marianna Okonska came to Lithuania from Kyiv. She had worked as a pastry chef there for 12 years and ran a small studio. “When the war started, shops were closed, public transport wasn’t running, and it was very frightening and difficult. So, as soon as the opportunity arose, my children, my mother, and I left for Lithuania. Right after arriving, I began working as a pastry chef and later started my own small business,” Marianna begins her story.

The Ukrainian woman explains that initially they went to Lviv because they didn’t believe they would be leaving their home for long, but later they realized there was no way back. Marianna shares that she not only bakes cakes but also traditional Ukrainian bread called karvoys. In addition, she organizes gastronomic evenings in Užupis.

“We all gather at Užupio Street 13, cook together, and enjoy dinner as a group. When you arrive in a foreign country without friends or acquaintances, it’s easy to feel isolated, so I decided to try organizing these communal dinners—and it has been a great success,” Marianna proudly shares.

Marianna’s children go to Ukrainian and Lithuanian school “Gravitas,” and she has already passed the Lithuanian language exam to better serve her clients.

“Of course, we miss our home, especially my mother, but we feel safe here in Lithuania, and that’s the most important thing. We’ve now been living here for three years, so we’ve settled in well, and life in Lithuania feels really good to us,” Marianna says.

IOM Lithuania has provided financial support to Ukrainians who arrived in Lithuania after February 24, 2022, to help start or develop their businesses. The support amounts to up to 3,000 euros. Grants were awarded based on an evaluation and selection of submitted business plans, taking into account the feasibility of the idea, business sustainability, and the appropriateness of expenses.

Out of nearly 100 applications received, 41 recipients were selected. In total, over 100,000 euros were allocated. Most of the businesses are based in Vilnius, but the support has also reached Ukrainians in the regions of Kaunas, Klaipėda, Alytus, Marijampolė, and smaller towns.