Natalia, a former Belarusian language teacher now living in Georgia, was recently exploited by an employer who refused to pay her wages. She is seeking help to secure warm housing and care for the stray animals she has rescued.
My name is Natalia Kravtsova. I am 56 years old and currently living in Georgia. My commitment to a free Belarus is lifelong; my father was a member of the Belarusian Popular Front, and I have always shared those democratic values.
In the 1990s, I taught the Belarusian language at School No. 5 in Mogilev, an institution considered exemplary at the time. However, I didn’t fit the “quiet and obedient” mold the administration expected. After refusing a politically motivated role in “ideology,” I was forced to leave the profession. I later worked in a bookstore and as a cashier, but after the events of 2014, it became clear that my family’s political history would keep me barred from meaningful work in Belarus.
I moved to Georgia in 2017. Since then, I have never been afraid of hard work. I have washed dishes and cared for the elderly. Last winter, I took a job as a housekeeper in Svaneti. I was promised help, but I ended up managing 16 rooms alone – cleaning, laundry, and eventually cooking and reception work – for just $10 a day. When I asked for my earned wages, the owner became aggressive and refused to pay. He threw a few coins at me to save face in front of his family, but I was left with virtually nothing.
I am now living in Mukuzani. I have secured work pruning grapevines, but my first paycheck won’t arrive for several weeks.
I live with five dogs I’ve rescued, and I care for several more strays near the highway. My current housing has cement floors and block walls; this winter, temperatures inside dropped to 3–5°C. I have been surviving on the kindness of a former colleague, which is a difficult reality to admit.
I am not used to asking for help. I know many have suffered in prison or have children to feed, but I have reached a point of desperation. I am a worker, and I want to keep working, but I need a bridge to get through this difficult time.
Fundraising goal
€1700
€450: Safe, warm housing (3 months)
€600: Basic living expenses and food
€400: Medical treatment for rescued animals
€250: Animal feed