Yulia, mobali na ye mpe mwana na bango ya mwasi ya moke bazalaki kofanda na mwa mboka moko ya kimya na Ukraine. Yulia azalaki kolinga kolamuka ntongo nyonso na makelele ya bandeke. Akanisaki ata moke te ete mokolo mosusu akofanda mosika ya ndako na ye, to mpe kozanga kolamuka na makelele ya bandeke na ntongo.
Yulia, her husband, and their little daughter lived in a small, quiet village in Ukraine. Yulia loved being woken every morning by the sound of birds. She never thought she would live far away from home, or not be woken up by the sound of birds in the morning.
Mobali na ye azalaki ntango nyonso komilela ete aza na mosolo mingi te mpe abandaki komela masanga mingi. Bazwaki mokano ya kokende na Portugal. Mbala mosusu kuna bakokoka kozwa mbongo mingi mpo na kotonga ndako mpe kobongisa libota na bango mpo na mikolo mikoya.
Her husband was always complaining about not having enough money and he began drinking heavily. They decided to try their luck in Portugal. Maybe there they could earn more money to build a house and make a better future for their family.
Yulia amesanaki malamu na ndako na ye ya sika, mpe abandaki kosala mosala ya moto oyo atiaka bopeto. Ba kiliya na ye basepelaki mpenza na mosala na ye ya makasi mpe na ezaleli na ye ya botosi. Mobali na ye, azalaki komimona ete batikaki ye. Mpo na mikakatano na ye ya komela masanga, bakonzi ya misala bazalaki kotiela ye motema te mpe bazalaki kolinga te kopesa ye mosala.
Yulia adapted well to her new home, and she started working as a cleaner. Her clients really appreciated her hard work and her polite attitude. Her husband, on the other hand, felt more and more left out. Because of his drinking problem, employers did not trust him and would not give him work.
Mokolo moko abandaki kogangela Yulia. Abandaki kotindika ye. Koganga mpe kobeta ekomaki makasi mingi, mingimingi ntango alangwe masanga. Yulia azalaki kobanga bomoi na ye moko mpe ya mwana na ye ya mwasi, kasi azalaki na likanisi te akosala nini.
One day he started yelling at Yulia. Then, he started pushing her. The shouting and beatings got worse, especially when he was drunk. Yulia was afraid for herself and her daughter, but she had no idea what she could do.
Ntango Yulia akendaki na lopitalo na lombango na loboko na ye ya kobukana, bayebisaki ye ete mobulu na kati ya libota ezali likambo monene na Portugal. Bayebisaki ye lisusu ezali mbeba mpe asengeli koyebisa yango na pulusi.
When Yulia finally had to go to the emergency room in the hospital with a broken arm, they told her that domestic violence was a huge problem in Portugal. They also said that it was a crime and she should report it to the police.
Yulia alembaki mpenza mpe alingaki te ete mwana na ye ya mwasi ya moke akola na ndako oyo ezali na mobulu mikolo nionso. Yulia asosolaki ete bilembo ya komonisa ye mpasi bizalaki ntango nyonso wana, ata soki ezuaki balolenge ebele.
Yulia was exhausted and did not want her little daughter to grow up in a home where she witnessed violence every day. Yulia realised that the signs of abuse had been there all along, even if it took many different forms.
Yulia akendaki na ebombamelo ya basi, epai wapi amiyokaki ete azali na esika ya kimia koleka esika awuti. Atikala koyoka bongo te mpo ete amesanaki kolamuka na makelele ya bandeke na ntongo.
Yulia went to a women’s shelter, where she felt safer than she had in a long time. She had not felt like that since she was woken up by the sound of birds in the morning.
