Ukraine’s displaced youth find freedom in volunteering
In Ukraine, internally displaced people are finding solace in volunteering
- Українська
- English
Nineteen-year-old Valeria Fedii is from the small town of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut, a previously little-known region of Ukraine. After months of violence, she and her family were forced to flee.
“At first, I treated the moving as if it were a trip,” Valeria recalls. “I made myself believe that we were not displaced people, but that we had come to Kryvyi Rih as tourists. But over time, I realised that we are here for a long time. And it is very uneasy for me. I didn’t just come to this city for some walk, I was forced to move here.”
After their arrival in Kryvyi Rih, Valeria and her family contacted the SHELTER+ NGO for humanitarian aid. There, the youngster was asked to fill out a questionnaire. One of the questions read: “Do you want to become a volunteer?” and today the budding young teacher helps elementary school children and teenagers to learn English at the SHELTER+ centre.
“I used to go to the university in Bakhmut, to study, to communicate – my life was so full. When the war took all that away, I felt like my soul was empty. But now I feel like SHELTER+ have filled my life again. I often come to the centre well before the classes to download the materials, print them and prepare. It seems that I began to feel alive again. The most important thing about it is probably the experience I gained here”
Currently, the majority of schoolchildren in Ukraine study remotely, and not all of them have the appropriate conditions or equipment. Therefore, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an educational co-working space for children and teenagers was set up in the SHELTER+ premises, with laptops, routers, computer mice and headsets.
“About 10 children study in the co-working space every day. And there are also those who come to us to take tests and complete other important tasks. In total, we have about 50 regular visitors. We also have teachers on various subjects: English, physics, mathematics and the Ukrainian language. They give free individual lessons from time to time. In other words, we improve children’s knowledge.”
Diana Bebakh, 22, works in the centre with some of its youngest visitors, from ages one to six - she conducts various educational activities and games. Diana became a volunteer after fleeing Popasna, in the Luhansk region.
“SHELTER for me is a place of strength, kindness and peace. I distract myself from the war when I volunteer and work with children. In my opinion, they need me the most right now. Before the war, these would have been regular classes, but in this context, children are in great need of support.”
Over the past year, SHELTER’S team has almost doubled, with around one hundred people currently volunteering. Most of them are internally displaced. Everyone shares their knowledge and skills, from dancing and fitness, to singing and wickerwork.
“SHELTER is a very cool place,” says Diana. “It’s worth coming once, and you won’t want to leave it. I want to come at least to communicate with the others. Thanks to SHELTER, I recovered a little after the displacement. I am very grateful for it.”
