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.
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.
Yuuliyaan mana ishee haaraa wajjiin haala gaariin kan madaqxe siʼa taʼu, qulqulleessituu taatee hojjechuu jalqabde. Maamiltoonni ishee hojii cimaa hojjettee fi ilaalcha safuu isheen qabdu baayʼee dinqisiifataniiru. Abbaan manaa ishii garuu caalaatti akka boodatti hafe itti dhagaʼame. Rakkoo dhugaatii dhuguu isaatiin kan kaʼe hojjechiistonni isa hin amanan, hojiis hin kennaniif turan.
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.
Guyyaa tokko Yuuliyaatti iyyuu jalqabe. Sana booda, ishee dhiibuu jalqabe. Keessumaa yeroo inni machaa’u wacaafi reebichi itti hammaate. Yuuliyaan ofiisheefi intalasheetiif sodaatte, garuu maal gochuu akka dandeessu yaada hin qabdu turte.
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.
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 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.
Yuuliyaan gara mana qubannaa dubartootaa deemtee, achitti yeroo dheeraa booda nageenyi ishee itti dhagaʼame. Ganama sagalee simbirrootaatiin erga dammaqaa turtee as akkasitti hin dhagahamne ture.
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.
