In February last year, artist and activist Violetta Maishuk finally received a residence permit in Slovakia and found a job. Life began to stabilize – but pregnancy changed everything. She was dismissed and is now left without savings or the ability to work.
I am an artist from Petrikov; I lived in Gomel. In 2020, I joined the “A Country to Live In” initiative and took part in Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s election campaign in the Gomel region. I became deeply involved in the team’s work – helping with organization, traveling across the region, doing whatever I could. After the elections, repression intensified, many colleagues were imprisoned, and it became clear that staying free in Belarus was impossible.
I fled to Ukraine. It was not a planned relocation, but a forced escape. I received temporary residence, found a job, and everything was relatively stable until February 24, 2021. The full-scale war marked the next traumatic stage: constant danger, fear for life, and growing problems with documents. Despite this, I spent several years volunteering and working on civic and humanitarian projects.
In August 2024, a special criminal proceeding was opened against me in Belarus. Later, I was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison under Article 361–1(1) of the Criminal Code (creation of an extremist formation) and Article 368(1) (insulting Lukashenka). Returning to Belarus became completely impossible.
At the same time, my passport was expiring, and I had to go to Slovakia to obtain documents and apply for international protection. There, I ended up in a refugee camp and spent six months in extremely difficult conditions – constant uncertainty and no right to work. All of this compounded the trauma of persecution, forced escape from Belarus, and the war in Ukraine. During that period, I had to undergo psychiatric rehabilitation to recover.
On February 18, 2025, I was granted international protection in Slovakia. In March, I received my documents and was finally able to start working. It felt like life was beginning to stabilize. But I had almost no work history – I had only just started and did not have time to qualify for full social benefits.
My pregnancy came as a surprise. I am now entering my fourth month. When my employer learned about my condition, they told me I could no longer work: 12-hour shifts and night work are considered hazardous and are prohibited for pregnant women. I was unable to find a new job – in Slovakia, pregnant women are effectively not hired.
I contacted the Labor Office, but it did not help. I am currently on sick leave and received about €200. Once it ends, the benefit will drop to around €60 per month. The amount depends on work history, which I do not have, since I only received my documents in March 2025.
I also have to pay for pregnancy-related medical examinations and monitoring. More than €200 has already been spent. Housing in Slovakia is expensive, and access to social housing involves waiting lists of six months to a year – pregnancy barely affects priority.
I could work independently, but I have no computer; my camera remained in Ukraine, and all I have is a smartphone. By education, I am a designer and artist and worked as a photographer, but without equipment I cannot return to this profession. I am now considering training in a beauty-related field so that I can work from home in the future.
My situation is the result of several factors coinciding at once: pregnancy, lack of income, high housing costs, and minimal social support. I need help to get through this period calmly and safely – for myself and my future child.
Fundraising goal
€2700
€1200 – housing
€600 – food and vitamins
€400 – basic household expenses
€500 – medical examinations and pregnancy care