The atrocities of the war in Ukraine have pushed millions to leave their home country to seek the safety of a new beginning, many of them settling in nearby countries bordering the besieged state.

Others chose to move further away, with some finding shelter in Malta, as did Maryna Barinova, 30, who has found a new family here, while still monitoring the developments on her home soil as the Russian invasion continues.

Fearing for her life, she shared her feelings with a friend, who helped her by asking for accommodation on her behalf on the popular Maltese Facebook group women for women. She eventually made it over, and is being hosted in Malta by Megan Lilley, who herself made a fresh start to her life two years ago.

“I know what it means having to start over in another country, as that is exactly what I did two years ago, when I decided to leave South Africa and come to Malta,” Megan told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

She added that although she could afford to pay rent and food for herself, she found the Maltese community behind her, assisting her with groceries, new bedding, clothes, cosmetics, and several job offers which enabled her to get on with her life quickly.

Speaking about the whole ordeal, Maryna said that she is happy in her new home, given the current circumstances, as she couldn’t have asked for a better host with whom, despite present language barrier difficulties and having to use a translator, she has developed a sincere friendship.

Maryna, who was born and raised originally in Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine, had to leave back in 2014 as trouble with Russia was already brewing. She relocated to Kyiv where she eventually built a life of her own.

Having only been in Malta for the past few weeks, Maryana recounts how since the start of the Russian invasion on the 24 February, all she could recall was the fear she felt as the Russian invasion progressed and people, including many civilians like her, started to be killed.

“I wasn’t safe all day long. I tried not to leave the house, as most often hostilities taking place during the night. The safest place in the apartment was the bathroom, as there were no windows. That's why at night I mostly tried to sit in the bathroom and sleep on the couch during the day,” she said.

The situation quickly worsened from there, and the few shops that remained open had long queues of people trying to store as much food and water as possible so as not to need to be in the streets.

Maryna said that in the first few days after the war started, people were buying food which was not of the best quality, but it didn’t matter as there was a shortage of products and prices were rising.

When it became clear that the hostilities were not going to end anytime soon, Maryna decided to leave Ukraine. With the help of some friends, a place for her was found in Malta.

When it came to leaving Ukraine, she said that there were several humanitarian trains which departed from Kyiv to the city of Lviv.

“When we arrived in Lviv, we couldn't stay there because the city was overcrowded with refugees, but we found volunteers who were willing to accommodate us for two nights in a school gym”.

She said that, later, she and other refugees were put on a humanitarian train and taken to the border with Poland, which they had to cross on foot to end on Polish territory. At this point all they were allowed to do was spend one night in Warsaw, as the refugee centre there was also overcrowded.

So far, it is estimated that around 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes, with 4.5 million crossing into other countries while the rest are displaced within Ukraine.

Maryana said that the experience she has gone through has strengthened her.

“I believe that what I have witnessed has made me a stronger person,” she said.

Speaking about the future, she said that although she looks forward to someday going back to Kyiv, where she left many friends, about whom she continuously worries, she is taking life day-by day.

Currently she is still teleworking with a Ukrainian company, for which she is being paid the Ukrainian minimum wage, which is far less than Malta’s.

Positively speaking about the hosting experience, Megan said that it has made her more patient as she is learning how to share her living space with another person in need.

All she had to share about Maryna were words of praise as she is impressed with her independence and resilience to learn to speak English fluently, despite being in a new and unknown country.

Megan urges whoever can, to host such people in need through the website; https://seekingsanctuarynetwork.org/ , or else help by giving a small donation.