Faces of Courage
Honoring women's resilience
… a world born out of pain, a world of female courage and resilience!
A profound and moving world.
“Faces of Courage” is more than a collection of photos and biographies – it is a celebration of human strength and of our desire, the PHONEO Association, to offer hope and support.
Project story
Helping women is crucial because they are a vital source of stability and resilience, responsible for caring for their families, maintaining social cohesion, able to save dozens or even hundreds of other lives, bringing hope for the future even in war.
For many, the history of these years is written in blood.
It is crucial not to get used to war, to evil.
Conflict and human suffering risk becoming just background noise in our lives.
They are not just figures and news, but realities that grind and destroy destinies.
It is a trap to think that we are too small, that we do too little.
Every act of kindness, every selfless gesture, every outstretched hand, every changed thought, pulls the balance towards a more humane world.
We can’t help everyone, but how about helping those who have influence, those who can multiply the good?
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With this in mind, in the 2023 edition of the Faces of courage project we turned our attention to women in Ukraine.
We invited 17 women who came to us especially from Ukraine.
The group was made up of unique women, including: leaders, doctors, rescuers, volunteers, trainers, military women, artists, therapists, women survivors of abuse, women of culture, activists, journalists, women working in humanitarian organizations… mothers.
These women are not refugees.
They are women who returned back to Ukraine after the program ended.
Their stay with us was intense for both sides.
They came to us with heavy emotional baggage, with soul wounds, with few resources, some of them in deep depression, generated by the events in their country.
They found here a safe and empathetic place where they shared their stories and started the healing process, they found support and solidarity in our community, a refuge in the midst of conflict.
Trauma specialists and psychotherapists supported them through group and individual therapies.
A period of respite during which they had the luxury of self-care and self-reflection.
A time when we gave them a voice, and they were heard.
The stories and portraits of these women are featured in the Faces of Courage photo-biographical albums and in the portrait exhibition of the same name, which is touring the world.
Testimonials
“I don’t know how to say goodbye… because in war it’s a bad sign to do that. So, I just want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for such an incredible gift over the last two weeks(…) You have done almost the impossible. You gave me freedom. Of course, each of us is a free person, but not everyone is lucky enough to truly feel freedom. (…) The two weeks I spent with you will not only leave me with pleasant memories and beautiful photos, but will leave me with a taste of true spiritual freedom. I am grateful to you for that. Something in me has changed because of you and I want to keep it that way. Even without asking “what?” I leave the question unanswered for now. There is hard work ahead with me, but when the heart yearns for change, it will surely happen. And most importantly, thanks to you, I am now sure that these changes will be for the better. With great respect to each and every one of you.”
Andrusenko Yakotiuc – Daria
“You have done almost the impossible in the days I spent with you. You have given me freedom. Of course, each one of us is a free person, but not all of us are fortunate enough to truly feel freedom. These weeks (…) will leave me with a taste of true spiritual freedom. I am grateful for that. Something in me has changed because of you and I want to keep it that way. A challenging work with myself awaits me (…) and, most importantly, thanks to you, I am now sure that these changes will be for the better.”
Daria Andrusenko-Yakotiuk
“Those days were incredible. It seems no one in my life has cared about me as much as this project in Cluj. Gratitude knows no bounds!”
Chernetska Natalia
“Special thanks for what you do and will do for women. My life has become much clearer and inspired by this project. Soulful and warm people, thank you for all that has happened in the weeks I have spent with you… You are unrivaled!”