Six months in Donbass, Eastern Ukraine

When I received the confirmation of deployment to Ukraine, I went really quiet inside.

“It is really happening. I am going to live for half a year in Ukraine.” I felt happy, excited and grateful. 

Since I was 15 years old I always volunteered parallel to my other life chores, school, university, work. This time it was going to be my main job. I always found volunteering very rewarding and satisfying and was very much looking forward to join the new team of co-workers in Eastern Ukraine.

Soon the preparations started. A very intensive training in Italy, followed by induction training by our sending organisation MONDO and the preparations to leave Poland. One would not realise how much work it actually involves to get ready for deployment... By the end of May I was ready and boarding the plane to Kiev.

We arrived in Severodonetsk in Donbas few days later, and not before long I started feeling this place becoming my new home.

Soon after I met my new colleagues from Vostok SOS. All the communication was in Russian, and at that time my attention span with the new language was still somewhat limited.

I was worried whether my level of Russian was sufficient to communicate. Rapidly I found out, that people were both very understanding and supportive, the communication run smoothly with some language laughter from time to time. I was received very warmly by the team and by all the people I came in contact with.

With great support from the team members, I started trainings and seminars on the topics of stress management and nonviolent communication. 

Session on stress management.

Training on non-violent communication with teenagers. 

Professionally I am art-therapist and did not give trainings on those topics specifically, yet it started a new chapter for me. It was challenging at times. I learnt to adapt and readjust the group sessions. In group work, and for me personally, it is very important to connect with the people and give them the content that is adapted to the local context. In many countries, and including Ukraine, the topic of mental health is surrounded by a lot of stigma. It is changing slowly, and I felt people more and more open to discuss it. There was a lot of interest in the trainings, I lead groups in our offices and in centre of employment. Later a new program for the law enforcement officers on stress management, resilience and suicide prevention was created.  

Every week I also looked forward to the sessions with the members of psychological club Dovira, an open group where we worked using creative arts therapy techniques.

Group working on the topic of resilience through creating own metaphorical cards.

A very memorable session on "mindful meditation" and the different levels of patience

Humour is important!

Dovira means "trust"

Before I came to Ukraine I was wondering, how I will handle the stories of people affected by the ongoing conflict, how will they affect and change me. During the deployment and after I feel I learnt so much, from the people I worked with, from the team members, from new friends I made, and that I now miss. It was so unbelievably valuable and powerful experience. I learnt a lot about myself too, and like to believe I became a better person. It was an opportunity I would not change and definitely do it again.

At the end of my deployment, I heard several times, that I am like “nasha” (one of ours). It touches me still and I felt it one of the biggest compliments. I felt like “nasha” to them, and they felt like “dom” (home) to me. 

Thank you :).

You see, there is a trick in volunteering. 

Not sophisticated at all and very simple in fact: it works in circles and is fuelled by kindness.

Try it and let others know. 

Good luck.

До встречи (See you), Ukraine!

I don’t like changes. I find it very hard to leave behind people, memories, things that you shared with dear ones at some point in time. I think I very well represent the cliché that one leaves part of his heart when leaving. I cannot forget. And I don’t want to.

the three Vostok-SOS volunteers at Ivana Kupala near Severodonetsk

The Donbas was a revealing, unforgettable experience for me. Apart from the wonderful people that I met and I’ve worked with, who inspired me and encouraged me whenever I needed it, this place must be my-kind-of-place. Since the times of Katherine the Second, people from different regions and countries arrived either to populate the empty lands for agricultural purposes, or being sent here for isolation reasons. The result is a young-like society, where people are not afraid to say what they think, and many elderly people are able and more than willing to go out of their comfort zone and have fun. 

part of the fun team after a workshop in Rubizhne

Severodonetsk has revealed to me slowly, from the grey days of January, with almost no one on the streets and temperatures around -10 degrees Celsius to the glowing days of summer, when everybody goes to one of the numerous lakes in the area for a shashlyk and beer with family and friends. 

during an English class for children

All of the projects I’ve engaged in here are special to me, but among them I have to first mention the Active picnics. Nature is always a good friend and an awesome excuse for us all to follow suit. This is why I couldn’t wait for the good weather and I tried to stick to the outdoors environment for my lessons whenever it’s been possible. And the energy jumps out of the Active picnics’ photos. This is just one of the projects I’ve been implementing with Sasha (Voroshilova) and which provided me with the opportunity to meet wonderful youngsters in Severodonetsk’  parks and talk about different things, play a lot of games with them and listen to their interests and dreams and… be overwhelmed by the whole thing. 

Interview for a local radio during the active picnic

The children are sparkling of curiosity and big dreams. Some would use any chance to ask about our [the volunteers’] countries and opinions about Ukraine, the conflict situation or other serious issues. They are eager to learn, open to engage in new activities and grow. I’m thus sure that their determination will one day bear fruit, making Ukraine known for what it is, a country of huge potential.

during my last active picnic

I’ve met very different people with sometimes opposing opinions and I admit I’ve tried to test limits. But the adults who attended my English classes or the film club focused on human rights have made it too easy for me; every time we would discuss a hot topic, such as political incorrectness, black humor, human rights in conflict, discrimination, war or the communist past, people - of very different ages - respected the others and engaged in it admirably, however difficult. 

I’ve also met many activists for diverse social and political issues, who are no different in their convictions from those residing in the EU, but they could be a little stronger in terms of resilience. I will never forget the House of Human Rights in Chernihiv, where I went for one of Vostok-SOS & Mondo’s projects and I had my first lecture in Russian ever (and I couldn’t have been more scared). This is an open house for initiatives that matter and all sorts of activists, a network linked also to countries in the region.

during an English class for beginners

Here I tried several things that I’ve always dreamt of doing, such as teaching in high schools and working on human rights in a creative way, organizing debates, educative games and so on. At every step, my lovely colleagues were there for me as much as I tried – at least – to be there for them. So I’d like to use this opportunity to thank them again for everything!

a part of the Severodonetsk team

How can I leave this place?... I was talking with a friend, who at some point told me with unhidden jealousy “and you are paid to do that?!” and I thought “well that’s that”. One for sure needs full energy and flexibility for this journey, but it’s definitely worth it. 

 

Contagious Spring in Eastern Ukraine

Already four months… I cannot even believe it. Time flies without acknowledgement when you enjoy what you do.

Interactive English class at Vostok-SOS office

I arrived in Severodonetsk with a clear view of what I want to do, with objectives attentively put on paper - I only had to work a little bit on the overall strategy with my colleagues after I arrive there, I thought. I didn’t have any expectations; I enjoy surprises however they are, because I believe one can learn from any.

It turned out a successful strategy, as I’ve mainly faced pleasant surprises in Severodonetsk. Maybe in the first two months the atmosphere was a bit grey due to the capricious snow and the change of office that both the team in Kyiv and the one in Severo were going through as many other changes.

By now I am fully introduced into the work of the team and this has been made with incredible sensitivity and understanding so that I was able to closely watch what and how my colleagues work, what the overall expectations from the beneficiaries are and how I can find my place in this new environment. My imperfect language skills weren’t much of an impediment in discovering the Vostok-SOS community thanks to the great people that are part of it.

Chistyi Ozero (Clean Lake) in Severodonetsk

Of course, my objectives, strategy and myself have changed during these four months, but I absolutely cannot regret it. I'm continously learning. Whenever I have an initiative, we talk and try it out, which one should face it – it doesn’t really happen in other work environments. 

Brave squarrel by the monastery near Severodonetsk

Otherwise, what can I say about Severodonetsk in spring? The town seemed to be brought to life. Little kids jumping around and having some fun out of life, as the song goes, elderly friends discussing the state of the country by the lake, youngsters having early swims and life going on as usual. 

I guess it took Severodonetsk a few years to adapt, but these people are stronger than you’d think. 

Those little things that count in Severodonetsk

It was still warm when I arrived in September in Severodonetsk, eastern Ukraine. In this small city located on 30 kilometers from the contact line I would assist the local NGO Postup in awareness raising on human rights and conducting different educational activities. Though as a volunteer I was not allowed to come any close the contact line then 5 kilometers, I would ‘see’ the conflict on a daily basis through our contact with the locals and IDP’s, or seeing the soldiers and army tanks heading to the front.

As the autumn arrived, temperature dropped below zero and white snow covered this grey Soviet city, daily life was taking place inside most of my stay. On a weekly basis I would conduct different weekly activities: my local English speaking clubs for teenagers and for adults, a psychosocial creative activity for children on the Saturday morning, weekly teaching on a local school. We would visit schools in the region and talk about different issues.

On Thursday nights it was time for women issues. As I am convinced that there are many women intimate subjects that deserve more attention and less taboo feelings, I started together with my colleague volunteer a Women circle. We talked about issues like menstruation, PMS, sexual consent, vulnerability of woman, but also practiced self-defense. We even found a gynecologist that would talk about different ways of contraception and would any answer any question about health. After some months we created a little group of women that would regularly visit our group in an atmosphere of trust.

No big mountains were moved by me, but it are those little things, that were very rewarding and made this all worth it. The happy faces of people that really appreciated the activities we organized, or the students in my weekly class that in the last lesson all would thank me in English.

New year, new volunteer

Here I am, the third curious volunteer in Severodonetsk, with her package of dreams, well installed in this corner of Ukraine. As probably all of the foreigners before arriving here, I thought it might be a little bit dangerous living more or less 30km from the contact line, from an unfortunate brotherly war with irreversible consequences. 

Yet, you get an entirely different feeling by arriving here. People go on with their lives – of course, with many  more hardships –, the snow falls smoothly and the challenges of the hearts beating here only push them for the best. 

In other words, I have to say I was touched by their resilience and willingness to help each other. It is basically what the organizations I volunteer for do; they have done humanitarian aid and development, as well as Human Rights projects. Hearing how different individuals suddenly decided to get involved and volunteer in their endeavors has also made me confident that I am in the right place.

Talking about the right place… I could say it is also a right one for its cultural and social richness. You really feel at ease among friendly people, by tasting great food (among which I’m definitely in for many different vareniki and salo) and interesting stories.

After a tour of Severodonetsk, you get intrigued about the tank being covered by tones of concrete, which is part of the foundation of the town’s Theater, the story of the buildings limiting the most beautiful boulevard in the city center, where the buildings are three-floored and tell the story of the architect who decided to spend his life in this ethnically diverse town some century ago.

Still, it is an industrial town, whose industry has greatly suffered due to the conflict and whose people don’t know if this mess will ever end. But by now I feel like home, and I am eager to discover more and more.