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.