Do you celebrate March, 8?

In October 2019, I finished my Masters in European Studies. Going back to Ukraine was something that I wanted to do since 2017. That year, I spent 6 beautiful months in Kyiv at Taras Shevchenko University and 3 inspiring weeks as an English language teacher in Snihurivka. I’ve always wanted to experience Eastern Ukraine, Severodonetsk and working with Vostok SOS was a clear choice and a great opportunity. Rather than describing all of my tasks, I would like to share one day of my Severodonetsk life.

It was a nice snowy day when I walked to the office. On the way, thoughts about the upcoming workshop were running through my mind, arranging and structuring ideas. To be honest, it was quite a challenge going to schools and carrying out workshops on human rights. At the time, my Russian language skills were not very strong and finding the best way to communicate so that everyone gets involved was the most difficult part. However, I still enjoyed every part of this experience.

This was the last day with my class and on Sunday, it was going to be the International Women's Day, so it was the perfect opportunity to talk about women's rights. During that week, a few people had asked me about this day: 

“How do you feel about March, 8 coming from the Czech Republic where before 1989, just like in Ukraine, this day was used as an advertising campaign for the former regime rather than for women’s rights? Do you actually celebrate it?”

When I got to the class, I talked about the main issues concerning women’s rights in the Czech Republic and in Germany. Consequently, pupils were sharing their experience and knowledge on women’s rights from their Ukrainian perspective.

As a preparation for this workshop, I was going through news articles and read about four women from three cities.

There was the story of Dasha and Mila from Rovno who were kept by some men in an apartment and could not flee until police had noticed them begging for help from the apartment’s window.

There was the story of Lenka from Prague who was on her way home when a man approached her and groped her body under her dress.

And there was the story of Marie from Leipzig who was murdered after hitchhiking and getting into a stranger’s car.

“What do you think have the stories of Dasha, Mila, Lenka and Marie in common”, I asked the class at some point. In the chat room, a lot of the reactions to the news articles were quite similar. 

Why did they go to the apartment? Was she alone in the city at night? What clothes did she have on? What was the time when she was out? Why did she hitchhike on her own as a woman?

These questions are insulting the victim and they also do not target the perpetrators. The blame is placed on the victim. Thus, after a fruitful discussion and exchanging of opinions, we came to the conclusion that gender-based violence and victim blaming are transnational issues and they should be discussed regularly and openly regardless of the nationality that is written in our passports.

Coming back to the above-mentioned question on how I feel about the International Women’s Day, I think it would be sad to forget this day just because it was misused in history. On the contrary, I believe we should all make use of this day to talk about and point out women’s rights violations.

A mural painting on one of Severodonetsk buildings saying "Stop Violence Against Women".

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. 

 

The kick off in Severodonetsk

For the upcoming six months the city of Severodonetsk, located in eastern Ukraine, will be my hometown. It did not take long before it felt like home. At thirty kilometres distance from the frontline we do not notice much from the ongoing conflict. At first sight life just goes on: children go to school, the harvest from the dacha gardens is to be sold on every corner of the street by the babushka’s (grandmothers) and the stray dogs lay in the warm late summer sun.

But when you look a bit further and talk with random people it never takes long before they

start to mention the conflict that affects them all in some way. Take for example Svetlana, a women

I met on the market. She is an educated 65-year old pensioner, but needs to supplement her small

pension by selling second hand clothes from Europe. She lives together with her husband in

Severodonetsk. Her parents are buried in the occupied Luhansk, her daughter lives in the occupied

city of Donetsk. Before it would take Svetlana three and half hours to reach her daughter, now it

takes her about a whole day. It especially takes a long time to cross the border. With tempertures

in summer of +40 and in winter of -20 this is not an easy job. This story is not an exception.

The border which is dividing many families does simply not excist in the minds of the people.

Our activities for the organisation Vostok-SOS (East-SOS) mainly concern the victims of the

conflict. Before the conflict the organization was located in the now occupied city of Lugansk and
was mainly working on protection of children. After the outbreak of the conflict, there was no
other option then moving the office to the area under Ukrainian authority. Also the focus of the
organization changed: since then Vostok-SOS helps victims of the conflict – internally dislaced
people (IDP’s), but also people living close or on the frontline by offering humanitarian, legal and
psychological aid. Next to this in the Severodonetsk office events (that are open to everyone) are
organized to contribute to one’s education and development, but also to support contact between
IDP’s and local residents. And this is why I am here: to contribute to an extensive programme of
cultural, educational and social events by using my exerience as an event organizer.

I was lucky to arrive in a very exciting time as the annual Festival Mneniya (Opinion festival)

was going to take place. This festival, organized in cooperation with my Estonian sending
organization MTU Mondo, provides ground for sharing knowledge and discuss diverse topics.
There was a children’s playground where I provided a hedgehog workshop. It was great to see
that children in Ukraine get as excited about it as in the Netherlands. In no-time the books were
finished. For now many things are on the agenda, starting off with English conversation clubs, global
education on local schools and different childrens’ activities that I will write about in my next blog!

Focus on : Psycho-social support through workshops with kids

Every week, Rusana and I held workshops for kids. This workshops happen every friday in Severodonetsk, and on a less regular basis, in villages closer to the contact line. Kids are usually under six, since it happens during school hours, but everyone is welcome, specially in august.

Since I arrived, we have held hand made workshops fabricating jellyfishes, fishes, drawing of the ocean (with dolphins, wales, etc.), of space (with spaceships, stars, the moon, etc.), of summer (with glue and cereals) and chalk drawing on the ground.

Usually, before or after the handmade workshop, we stimulate cognitive reactions of the kids asking them about colors, everyday words, sounds, and behaviors (jumping, turning around, etc.). After all of these activities, we invite the kids to play altogether.