In this special episode called, Never Lose Hope, Gary Cox and David Johnson are joined by Kateryna Valian for a deeply human conversation about resilience, displacement and the courage it takes to rebuild a life more than once.

Kateryna’s story begins in Donetsk in 2014, when armed occupation changed daily life overnight and she made the difficult decision to leave her home for Kyiv. What she thought might be a temporary move became the start of a much longer journey, as she adapted to a new city, new work, and the painful reality that going home was no longer simple.

Kateryna then shares how life changed again in February 2022, when she recognised the sound of bombing in Kyiv and the full-scale invasion forced her to face displacement for a second time.

This episode also explores the practical and emotional realities of starting again: learning a new job market, rebuilding confidence, being separated from her husband in Kyiv and living with grief.

Throughout the conversation, Kateryna speaks with remarkable honesty and positivity, describing how support from ordinary people, including her UK host Jane, helped her take the next steps towards independence and work.

Never Lose Hope with Kateryna Valian is a moving reminder that behind every headline are individual people making impossible choices, finding unexpected kindness and trying to build a future one day at a time.

To support Kateryna, you can contact her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateryna-missiga-valian.

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🎞️ Created and Produced by YRAG Productions