Support for a former political prisoner with poor health to adapt in Poland

  • Story

Hello! 
My name is Alexandra Khomchenko.

I used to live in Klimovichi and work as a nurse. In May 2022 I reposted Lukashenka's portrait on the tombstone in a social network. I did it and forgot. 

In February 2023, I received a call from an unknown number. They introduced themselves as the administration from the previous place of work and invited me to a meeting. Unsuspecting I agreed to the meeting, left the house and at that moment I was detained.

Everything that was happening seemed to me some kind of delirium. I realized that it was not delirium and not a joke after several hours of interrogation. I have diabetes, I had a stroke in 2017, and during the long interrogation I felt bad. When I asked him to tell my family where I was so they could give me my medication, the interrogator replied, “If you die, it's no great loss, one less traitor to the Motherland.”

After the trial, I was sentenced to a year in a penal colony. With my state of health, that year seemed like an eternity to me. When I was released, the repression against me did not stop. They appointed preventive supervision* and threatened to send me back to prison. Under supervision, I was given an offense for so-called disobedience to the authorities. I received three days of administrative detention and 20 hours of community service. Two more violations and I would have gone back to the colony.

I couldn't get an official job anywhere. In our small town, wherever I went, I was refused everywhere. Being afraid of being imprisoned again and hoping to find a job in another country, I decided to leave Belarus.

Now I am in Poland. Safe, but alone without money and without support. When I was in the colony, I earned 14 kopecks in the first month. The rest of the months were no better, so I have no savings. After my release, having never found a job, I had to leave with practically no money.

Finding myself in a difficult financial situation, I decided to turn to you for help. I need this fee to adapt in Poland. After suffering a stroke, my left arm has not fully recovered and it is difficult for me to find a lighter job. At the moment I work unofficially in a farm. It is very hard for me to work physically and the money I earn is only enough for food. I hope to find an easier part-time job and I want to improve my health.

Please support me now financially while I am waiting for the opportunity to work officially.
I will be grateful to every indifferent person for any possible help!

* Preventive supervision is a measure of control applied to people after their release. It includes regular checks by police officers, a ban on participation in certain activities, a ban on leaving the country and city, and an obligation to report changes of residence and employment. Additional restrictions may be imposed.

How much is needed?

€2200

€1200 — rent of a room for three months
€500 — a simple laptop for part-time work (I used to design websites part-time)
€500 — seasonal clothing and shoes

 

Сollected:
€ 1 669 in 2 200