A story from Nitra.

Edo.

My name is Eduard Medvid, I’m 30 and from Ukraine. I came to Slovakia in 2021 and worked as an assembler in a big factory. At first it was fine, but soon I wanted more than physical work. I got interested in machines and later moved to another company with better pay and more responsibility. I even helped my boss with his tasks. I really liked that – the sense of involvement.

Then the work dried up, and our boss offered us a different kind of task.

I agreed—and that’s when the explosion happened. I lost my right hand. I spent over a month in a coma and faced a long, painful recovery. I lost my job, and soon after, my fiancée of eight years left me. I was completely alone. I turned to a psychologist for help. It didn’t solve everything, but it gave me a spark to start searching—for purpose, for something to hold on to. And eventually, something appeared.

The psychologist introduced me to Max, who then brought me to IN-HABIT, Hidepark, and the people there.

At that stage in my life—having just survived a serious injury and a breakup—I needed to do something physical. Working with my hands really helped. I felt useful and needed. As we say back home, that was the foundation—the beginning. I started with simple volunteering, which later turned into more regular work and some financial support.

I spent many weekends helping at events, mostly with Filip, who didn’t just involve me – we also talked a lot. I also met Janka, and later Soňa, then Simona and others.

Gradually, I got to know all these amazing people. They gave me their time, took care of my problems, and truly wanted to help me. You see, for me, this project has always been about the people.

And then, thanks to IN-HABIT, I visited Riga last year. It was great—a new city, new people. I noticed through everyday things that it’s possible to make a living using your mind and creativity—that you can support yourself with your imagination. That was really interesting for me.

On 24 August 2022, the day of my accident, a new life began—the new Eduard Medvid. That was the foundation, as I call it, and Filip, Janka, Hidepark, and IN-HABIT helped me build it.

I had no money, no documents, and had to deal with the immigration police and lawyers in a language I wasn’t fluent in. But the people at Hidepark helped me through all of it. Janka, especially, felt like a sister. She stood by me, helped with paperwork, and came with me to offices—social, tax, immigration, legal. It was a huge gesture I’ll never forget.

Now I try to live in a way that brings me joy and meaning. At IN-HABIT and Hidepark, I started to lead a football club for Ukrainian children.

In a way, you could say that through the project at Hidepark, and through my football club, I found a new family. That’s how I met the son of my current partner, and later, her as well. When I think about it now, Hidepark has helped me with so many major things in my life – in this second, new life after the accident.