Katya is a mother of two, one of whom has been diagnosed with numerous genetic mutations, which, in turn, have led to a complex physical condition. For the last eight years, Katya has been tethered to her younger son, as he requires constant care: every 5-10 minutes, his upper respiratory tract needs sanitation, and he is fed through a gastrostomy.
Katya tried many times to find an assistant, but they either feared the child with active epilepsy, or they weren't responsible enough, not understanding that any mistake could be life-costing.
Before the war, Katya was married, and tried to work as a content editor in e-commerce, but almost always found it impossible to combine this job with taking care of her son. Employers wanted work at a certain time and pace, but the child’s condition didn’t even allow Katya to plan a personal breakfast, which often got postponed until dinner, let alone a working day.
A real breath of freedom came with the job of marking content for AI. Katya is not dependent on the work schedules of other colleagues; all she needs for work is a laptop and a few hours of free time.
"I was just shocked when I received 6000 UAH after working a few hours a day for two weeks. It's like a fairy tale for me – I can be with the child, take care of him without blaming myself, and at the same time earn the money that is so necessary, as my older daughter is now a teenager and wants to look and feel equal to others."
In addition to the obvious financial benefits, Katya also gains confidence and socialization.
"For many years, I have been locked in an apartment. Sometimes I go out to complete documents or communicate with doctors when my mother has the opportunity to back up with the son. Here I have colleagues in the chat, there is a manager, Oleksiy, who is probably the most respectful person in the world. We constantly communicate, I feel needed, as strange as it may sound, a normal person. Honestly, I’ve already unlearned that someone can talk to me so politely and respectfully. Therefore, I value this job so much. It really motivates to develop and act, although initially, it was very scary that I would not cope."
In Ukraine, over 165,000 families have a child with a disability, most of them are thrown out of the labor market. Just within a week of recruiting candidates for our project, we received 2000 applications from mothers who are ready to start working tomorrow.
Now, Katya successfully combines caring for a child, working, and has the opportunity to be calmer about the future, which she wishes for other mothers in difficult life circumstances.