She didn’t speak English, but she taught others how to earn money: how one woman restarted the lives of hundreds of people

Every day I tell hundreds of women that they are valuable. That they have already done a lot. That every child, porridge cooked and difficult decision made is an achievement. But at the same time, I often wonder: have I done enough myself?

I am not a superhuman. I am a Ukrainian. And I, like millions of my compatriots, have survived the war and the unknown. But I am also a manager, a teacher, an accountant. And I felt responsible not only for myself, but also for those who entrusted me with their education, career, and hope.

When I arrived in the UK, I couldn’t explain a simple sentence in English. And from the very first day, I started working at McDonald’s. My diplomas, certificates and awards did not prevent me from telling my clients, the owners of the companies, about it. It was an extraordinary experience: lessons with native English speakers for which you also get paid. And in my spare time, I studied British tax law, explaining everything I had learnt in videos and free consultations. Six months later, she opened an accounting practice in the UK. A few months later, I launched a course for Ukrainian accountants. Now I have over 300 graduates, and the course is CPD accredited.

I work with different people – often with male business owners. And it’s easy for me to work with them: I think logically, speak to the point, and respect the structure. But my passion is women.

A man running a business is often focused only on work. And a woman… She is all about business, children, kitchen, and cleaning. And then there’s the war, moving, studying, a new country, language, loneliness. And she survives. And she grows.

In some cultures, like in traditional Arab countries, after the loss of a husband, children stay with his family. But in Ukraine, everything falls on the shoulders of women. And during the war, our husbands were not allowed to leave, and we found ourselves in other countries: with children, without language, without support. We had to start from scratch.

I remember being afraid to drive to Kyiv. But the war changed me. Bulgaria, Istanbul, Paris, Barcelona, London – I drove everywhere. And I realised that if I can drive in a foreign country without knowing the language and under new rules, then starting a new business is not scary. Because an accident is a fatal mistake. And business is just a step.

I studied the traffic rules of each country. And I realised that they are similar. It’s the same with taxes. If you know the system of one country, you can deal with others.

That’s how my YouTube project Business in Europe was born, where I explain how to set up a business in different countries together with local experts. And then there’s an accounting course in the UK, a course for the self-employed, translations into Arabic, Polish, and English. And then there is even more.

I am not perfect. But I share my experience because if I can do it, you can do it too. I want this to be read by a woman who is sitting with a child in her arms right now and is afraid. I want her to believe that her time is still ahead.

Because I have seen it. I have lived it. And I am not stopping.