“I used to be afraid to speak English. Now I can — and it’s opening new doors”
Nadiia Horovenko arrived in Bucharest from Odesa on March 7, 2022. Like many Ukrainians in the early days of the war, she was searching for support, safety, and a sense of clarity in a new environment.
“Through acquaintances, I found out about JRS Romania. At first, I joined psychological support sessions, which were exactly what we needed at that time: the stress, the fear, the uncertainty… Later, I started learning Romanian, and now — English. All these courses have been a lifeline for me.”
Nadiia isn’t a fan of online learning. She openly admits that screens cause her stress, while face-to-face interaction gives her energy and motivation.
“As soon as I heard about the new intensive English course from JRS Romania, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I had long wanted to study with this particular teacher, Liudmyla. And when I found out she was leading the course, I signed up on the very first day. And I wasn’t wrong.”
The course began on August 10 — four hours a day, intensive and immersive, with a strong focus on speaking practice. At first, it was intimidating: she felt shy to speak, mixed up words, and the fear of making mistakes held her back. But…
“Today, I’m not afraid to speak anymore. I can ask questions, I can explain myself — even if I make mistakes, I’m understood. And that’s a huge victory for me.”
One day, Nadiia found herself in a hospital, alone, at a cardiologist appointment — without a translator. The doctor spoke English. And thanks to the course, Nadiia was able to manage:
“I explained what I needed. And I understood what I was told. In a stressful situation, that’s priceless.”
But English isn’t just for everyday life. Nadiia leads creative workshops for Ukrainian women, and she dreams of reaching a wider audience:
“Now I can imagine giving workshops for Romanian children, or even children of other nationalities. I see that English is a bridge between cultures. It’s a new way to express myself.”
Interestingly, her daughter has been fluent in English for a long time, and now they can speak in English together:
“She noticed my progress. And that — is such a sweet victory!”
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗘𝗨.