Good afternoon, dear Belarusians!
I did not think that I would find myself in the role of a beggar. I was very lucky that after the events of 2020 and 2022 I did not go to jail and managed to leave. However, life in exile is little like sugar, and when one thing is disrupted, everything else breaks down like a house of cards. And without the support of family and friends, it becomes a big problem.
My name is Alina.
I used to live in Minsk. In 2020, I participated in peaceful protests and went to women's marches. And in 2022, I went to a protest on the day of the referendum on February 27. That day, during the action in Niamiha, I miraculously managed to slip out of the hands of a police officer and jump into the bus. I went through a huge stress, because I realized that I was one step away from prison. Therefore, on March 1, we left to Georgia together with my boyfriend, where we got married.
After our departure, some of our acquaintances, with whom we participated in the actions, were imprisoned for 24 hours. Many of them left Belarus because criminal cases were brought against them.
At first everything was going well for us in Tbilisi. My husband and I started working in the beauty sector quite quickly and had good money. I was a hairdresser. Since there were many emigrants in the city, there was plenty of work. Accordingly, the income was good.
In March 2022, I and other Belarusians organized a collection of aid for the war victims in Ukraine. I took medicines and food to the “Volunteers of Tbilisi” center. I also helped Belarusians who fled from the regime to Georgia: I helped transfer money through local cards from their relatives, helped them with a bed, shared food.
And then my life began to fall apart.
A year ago, my mother died in Belarus. I couldn't come to her funeral because I was afraid to go back to Belarus. Recently we divorced my husband, and I was left without the housing that we rented together. Besides, people started to leave Georgia, and my income dropped a lot.
It was with great difficulty that I got a visa to Poland. I have a job and housing waiting for me there. At first I plan to work in the warehouse of an online store and restore my financial situation. Then I will open my own business.
The move is planned for the end of June. Until then I am in Georgia and live on savings. But the money is rapidly running out. The last funds were used to pay for the hostel, and even those were enough for a week….
It so happened that I have no one to turn to for help. Apart from my grandmother, I have no relatives in Belarus. That's why all hope is in our solidarity, which we all felt in 2020. And I will be grateful for any financial support that will help me to get out of this stream of failures.
How much is needed?
€1500
I need €1000 to pay for a place in a hostel until June 27 (1 day costs 29 lari).
€400 ticket to Poland (I borrowed it from friends)
€100 for the first time until my salary