Meet the psychologist helping people heal in Ukraine

15 November 2017

Meet Farhana Javid. The 38-year-old psychologist from India is a mental health delegate in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine.

She counsels and supports the residents of front-line communities and helps them cope with distress caused by the conflict. She also trains Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers to do the same in a long-term sustainable manner.

On her first international field mission with the ICRC, Farhana is facing various challenges in her daily life, not the least being linguistic and cultural barriers in a country far away from her native Jammu and Kashmir, India. Nevertheless, she finds a way not only to connect with the community but also to be warmly accepted and truly appreciated by them.

Being far away from her two young children can sometimes be very tough on her. But what is a life without challenges?

This is Farhana's story.