Elvira Paterson and Special Project: After “Here”

I was born in Mykolaiv, and I built my conscious life in Odesa. Today, my life unfolds abroad, in Portugal, and this journey has given me so much: new horizons, challenges, discoveries, and most importantly — an understanding of how essential it is to stay connected to oneself and to one’s homeland, even while being far away.

The project “After ‘Here’” was born from the desire to share the stories of Ukrainians living abroad. Stories of success and failure, small victories and great challenges — all of this shows that we are not alone. For anyone who has found themselves “after here,” these stories act as a beacon: they give strength to move forward, to not give up, and to believe in oneself and one’s dreams.

We created this special project to inspire and support each other. So that everyone can feel: even on foreign soil, among new rules and new faces, we are capable of preserving our identity, building our lives, and achieving the extraordinary.

“After ‘Here’” is a space of truth, strength, and hope. Here, every story reminds us that life goes on, and that every new day is a chance to be braver, stronger, and more honest with ourselves.

With love and faith in everyone reading these lines,

Elvira Paterson