From Survival to Safety: Maria’s Journey from Mariupol

The journey from Mariupol was a blur of fear and fragmented memories for Maria. One moment, they were a family in their beloved home; the next, the relentless sound of shelling had driven them into a terrifying, uncertain exodus. With her two young children, Anya (6) and Sasha (4), clinging to her, Maria had crossed the border into Poland, carrying only a small backpack filled with essentials and the heavy weight of trauma.

For weeks, their lives were a succession of temporary accommodations – a crowded gymnasium, a kind but fleeting stay with a distant relative, a small room in an overwhelmed community center. Each night, Maria would lie awake, listening to her children’s uneasy breathing, wondering where they would go next, how she would protect them, and if they would ever feel safe again. The constant uncertainty was a profound drain, making it impossible to plan, to hope, or even to grieve for what they had lost.

Then came the call from a local aid group, a partner of Sauber Association. They had an offer: a key to a modest but fully furnished apartment. It was one of the properties Sauber had recently acquired and meticulously prepared for displaced families. When Maria first stepped inside, she was overwhelmed. It wasn’t grand, but it was clean, quiet, and most importantly, it was theirs – at least for a crucial period. Anya found a small drawing table in her room, and Sasha immediately curled up on the sofa with a toy bear left by a previous donor.

It was like finally being able to breathe again,” Maria recalls, her voice still trembling with emotion. “For months, we were just surviving. Sauber didn’t just give us a roof; they gave us back our dignity, a sense of privacy, and the mental space to think beyond tomorrow. My children are going to school now, they laugh, they play without fear. I am learning Polish and looking for work. We have a future, a real chance to rebuild, and it all started here, in this safe place.

Maria

Thanks to the stable foundation provided by Sauber’s strategically acquired properties, Maria and her children are now not just surviving, but thriving, rooted in security and empowered to forge a new path.