“I wouldn’t go anywhere else now — I have found my place here.” – Erika’s family’s story
Since the outbreak of the Russian–Ukrainian war, nearly 6 million refugees have been registered worldwide. We believe that safe and independent housing is an essential foundation not only for the safety of refugees arriving in Hungary, but also for their social integration. We provide our clients with rent support, social work assistance, and peer mentoring. So far, our refugee programme has supported more than 900 people. Erika’s story is truly exemplary: she first joined us as a volunteer interpreter, later became a client in our solidarity housing and rent-support programme, and for the past three years she herself has been supporting others as a peer mentor. The portraits for our 1% tax campaign were created by Lili Chripkó.
Erika’s grandfather was originally from Nyíregyháza in Szabolcs County, Hungary, but as a child he was adopted and moved to Transcarpathia. Erika herself was born and raised there, where she lived with her two children before the war broke out, while her husband had already been working in Hungary at the time.
Like millions of others, Erika’s family’s life changed overnight.
“In 2022, when the war broke out, we accidentally overslept one morning, and meanwhile the teachers were already calling us, telling us not to send the children to school because the war had started. Ivano-Frankivsk is about 400 kilometres from us. I still think that’s not really that far away. We were terrified at that moment. My husband immediately called us from Hungary, from Budapest, and told us to pack quickly and come across the border.”
With the help of Catholic Caritas, Erika’s family arrived in Mátészalka, in Szabolcs County, directly from the border, where they stayed for two weeks with the organisation’s support. During that time, however, finding a rental apartment in Budapest proved difficult: Erika struggled because of the distance, and her husband did not yet speak Hungarian well.
“We didn’t even know how to look for a flat. We had never done anything like this before. We had no idea where to start. On Facebook? Or are there special websites where these are advertised? Then we realised you need a deposit, and that’s not a small amount of money. We were not prepared for that.”
It was almost by chance that Erika came into contact with . One day, Facebook showed her one of the Association’s posts looking for a phone interpreter to help a Ukrainian mother trying to settle in Budapest. Erika volunteered and helped the woman over the phone during the intake process.
That is how Erika’s own family came to the attention of the Association, which had launched a solidarity housing programme for refugees from Ukraine after the outbreak of the war. Through this programme, Erika’s family was able to stay for two weeks with a Hungarian host family, who helped them in every way they could.
“They welcomed us warmly. We were very grateful because they helped us a lot — we knew nothing. We came from a life we were used to, completely different from life here. Of course, people work everywhere, people live everywhere, but the habits, the systems, everything is different.”
In the end, they stayed with the Hungarian family for a little over two weeks. Even though Erika’s husband was already working, they still could not afford a rental deposit, so the four-member family ended up living in a workers’ hostel for four months in a single room. Although they had their own small bathroom and kitchen, it was far from a real home for a family with two pre-teen children.
Erika quickly found work through acquaintances: she started as a housekeeper in a hotel, and thanks to her competence and determination, she was promoted to supervisor after just two weeks. They managed to save enough money for one month’s deposit, and with Erika’s resourcefulness they quickly found a suitable rental apartment. Through the Association’s rent-support programme , helped them by covering an additional month’s deposit, which was an enormous help at the time.
Erika’s family stayed in this apartment — where they could finally feel at home — for four years. For a year and a half, the Association supported them by contributing to part of the rent through the rent-support programme. Erika also remembers fondly the Christmas tree they received from the Association, the presents for the children, and the Christmas dinners organised for clients.
Through our refugee programme, we cover part of refugee families’ rent in the medium or long term, making housing affordable for them. We also provide social work support, helping clients access public education, find employment, understand their labour rights, access healthcare, and receive emotional support through counselling conversations. Between 2022 and 2025, the programme supported more than 900 refugees, and we are currently working with more than 30 households.
It was especially important for Erika that her children attend Hungarian schools, as they practically learned Hungarian there. Fortunately, both teachers and classmates welcomed the children warmly and supported them greatly, helping them adapt successfully to their new school environment. Erika’s daughter now attends a secondary healthcare school, while her son hopes to study hospitality in secondary school.
Erika’s family was fortunate in many ways: they already had acquaintances in Hungary, Erika spoke some Hungarian, and through her grandfather’s Hungarian roots they were able to receive citizenship quickly. At the same time, Erika herself is exceptionally dynamic, open-minded, and resourceful: she is never afraid to ask questions, always finds her way in difficult situations, and stands up firmly against injustice.
In 2022, we launched our peer mentor programme, which Erika joined in 2023.
Photo: Lili Chripkó
“Then they suggested that I shouldn’t only be a mentee, but also become a mentor, because there were many Ukrainian families arriving at that time who didn’t know the language. They didn’t know how the healthcare system worked here, how to access care, how to book appointments, how to see a GP, and so on.”
Erika supports her mentees and their families with incredible skill, determination, and confidence, whether it involves navigating the often extremely difficult healthcare system, accessing services, enrolling children in nursery or school, or handling administrative tasks. There were several occasions when institutions initially refused to provide care to her mentees, but Erika’s preparedness, presence, and strong sense of justice ensured that our clients received the healthcare services they were entitled to.
One of Erika’s hobbies is baking and cooking, which she does at a very high level. She regularly prepares food for the mentor group and often bakes exceptionally delicious cakes for larger community events.
Erika’s husband still works in construction, while Erika herself worked at the hotel for two and a half years before taking on interpreting work after a surgery. She now works for a recruitment agency, a job she truly enjoys.
“I’m an interpreter, coordinator, recruiter — everything, really. I’m very happy, I love this job because I love working with people. I feel really good here. I wouldn’t go anywhere else now — I have found my place here.”
Erika’s story clearly shows that safe and independent housing is an essential foundation for refugees’ security and social integration. With the right support, refugee clients can build new lives and use their extraordinary skills to help others as well. To help even more people, we need your support. Thank you for donating 1% of your income tax to and for sharing our work with others.
