Until February 24, I was an entrepreneur in the IT field, played sports, lived with my family, had plans for repair and vacation ...

In the morning on the 24th, I was packing a bag for a regular workout, as suddenly I saw a huge stream of cars out of Kharkiv through the window. Then I heard people running down the stairs in the porch. And then I saw panic in the yard among the people who packed the suitcases in their cars and were leaving. This is how the war began, which seemed unrealistic then. At home, we started collecting things with everything vital and getting ready for the worst.

I work with people across the globe. I have many business contacts in different countries that have suggested to leave. My conscious choice was to stay and do everything I can to protect and support my people. The events of the first days brought me to volunteering. It is quite natural for me to help people. So it all began with the support of the military after shelling and the elderly who were unable to go out. Subsequently, after acquaintance with other volunteers, I joined a volunteer organization. Together, the amount of work and assistance has increased significantly.

It was most difficult to maintain endurance and pace of work in the first days despite all emotions and physical activity. I have never felt as social as in this work. So there is more information now, than my brain can process. The most memorable is panic, which completely paralyzes people, and the feeling of helplessness and despair, especially among the people with a strong spirit. War is a terrible challenge.

We will definitely win, because we all are united by will. Again! We protect our families, our friends and relatives again. We are warriors of the light that always beats the darkness.

Who you were before the war?
- The last 2 years I'm unemployed.

How did the war begin for you?
- I woke up at 5 am from the alarm clock, and 5 minutes later I got up hearing the cannonade outside.

Why did you become a volunteer?
- From the desire to be useful.

Why he taught the experience of volunteering?
- understanding that there is always someone who is worse than you.

What are the most prominent challenges during the work?
- Transportation of dogs - during the day, the animals were forced to be without food and water.

Why will we definitely win?
- We will, because the case is either we or us.

Before the war, I was a builder, a supervisor.

For me, the war began with the fact that I heard the explosions through a dream, realized that the day could be very difficult, so I decided not to wake up and sleep well. But my wife interceded into my plan, and everything went to a scrape. ))

The volunteering was accidental. Apparently, this is fate.

I'm not ready to tell what the experience of volunteering has taught me until everything is over. I think everything in ahead. The most prominent challenge of this work, I think, is the very existence of such work.

We will win ! Just because we exist, and we are like that. Devoted to our Country, our relatives, our city, our countrymen. I have never shouted such a slogan before, but now, it comes to mind. There are many of us, we can't be conquered! Glory to Ukraine !!!

Before the war, I taught mathematics at a university and owned a book sales business.

On the third day, I realized that I cannot be aside the situation, so I went to the military enlistment office, and finally was recruited to the Territorial Defense. In a couple of days we were told that we are to provide ourselves with all the equipment except for machine guns and even food. Using my connections, I managed to provide my unit with body armor and helmets. And after my unit reorganization I decided that I would be more useful as a civilian.

For the time of volunteering, I realized that there were more good people than one may assume.

For some reason, it seems that the hardest challenges are ahead.

We will win because there's no opposite option.

Before the war, I was the owner of a computer company, an engineer in the field of alternative energy sources, and a licensed sailing of a yacht.

On January 24, 2022 I woke up from a powerful explosion at 5 am. Until the last moment, I could not believe that the war had begun. On the same day, we moved with the family to the working premises of our company, in the city center, with a reliable bunker. Eight days later, these bastards destroyed our house, then I transported the family to a safe place, and returned to Kharkiv.

The first days I did not know what was going to happen, reading the news and telegram channels, watched a lot of videos about the war, thought about our future ... But I realized that I, like everyone around, was constantly looking at the smartphone. It's like a drug, news addiction and any information about the war, I saw that I was losing myself in reality, and I turn into some information-dependent zombie.

My friend Ivan wrote me, suggesting joining Territorial Defense and army needed our help. Then I said I would consider this option, but then there was an explosion, another explosion... I sent my inner "zombie" to hell. I am good in business, and ready to do everything that depends on me to support our army and the city.

I am not an experienced volunteer yet. I like to work in one team with good people, we have a very interesting and powerful team. Volunteering can be compared to yachting, where there is no difference who you are, how much you have money, what cars, etc., human qualities, openness, professionalism, work for the sake of the same purpose come to the fore.

When I saw that our charity organization provides to our defenders, a lot of complex electric devices (quadcopters, thermal scopes, digital video surveillance systems, laptops, smartphones, portable radios... ), and there is no light and electricity in the fields at all. It is very dangerous to use generators in many cases, then all this complex electronics turns into a breast of iron, like a machine without fuel. I suggested using modern lithium batteries and autonomous power supply systems, which are very lightweight, powerful and can maintain all the equipment for a few days to one week. This is a very important advantage that is not available to our enemy. But when I design and create these systems, I feel very useful and really help our Armed Forces. This is probably my main mission in this war.

We will win because the invaders will have their batteries dead, and we will destroy them as "Energizer"! :) Glory to Ukraine!

Before the war, I worked in a furniture salon.

When the war began, I could not fall asleep, and I remember when Kharkiv started being bombed as if it has just happened.

From the first days, I wanted to help and could not sit at home.

Volunteer experience taught me to protect my back :)

Unloading of the wagon during the curfew was quite memorable. We carried a large number of boxes through the rails, taking into account that trains were moving along the rails at that time.

We will win because during the war we find the opportunity to rejoice and help the others.

Before the war, I was a master.

The war began when I was walking with my dog.

I was a volunteer because I was not taken to the army.

Gained incredible experience to obey women during the time of volunteering.

The most wanted desire is to wake up, and there is no war!

The desire and passion to win will win, as there can be no other.

I'm Anya. Before the war, I was a magician a bit - made people young and happy with the help of face, head and neck massage.

24.02 I planned to go from Kharkiv to Izium to work and pick up my little daughter from her grandmother. But those explosions in the morning crossed all the subsequent plans. This got me separated for 2 weeks with a 4-year-old child. At first, I was happy she was not in Kharkiv, but in a safe place in Izium with my whole family, and then went crazy when my hometown was mercilessly bombed.

The chats had many requests for medicines and food from Kharkiv and lacrimal pleads about the urgent evacuation from Izium, so we with my boyfriend began to buy what was necessary and delivery to people in need. By now we have evacuated more than 400 people from Izium and the area with a group of people who wanted to act.

At the same time, we got acquainted with the tankers, whom we bombed near us and began to help them as and what we could; We later learned that there are more than 1500 people there, and they urgently needed everything! With our efforts, we almost closed their urgent needs.

Volunteering experience stressed that you need to appreciate what you have right now, taught to read people quickly and instantly make important decisions and be afraid of nothing. Now everything is solved by humanity and simple human attitude, not who you were "before", how many things and money you have.

While you are useful and busy, not sitting with fear and despair, you are definitely invincible! There are so many of us, and we are the one: we all believe in our bright nearby future, and this is guaranteed that all is going to be Ukraine very soon.

Before the war, I was an architect. Designed residential buildings, parks, kindergartens.

The terrible news caught me in Colombia without even leaving Bogotá Airport, I began to return to my war.

I do not consider myself a volunteer, rather a crisis manager.

At my age, you do not make new friends, but the war gave me a bunch of wonderful, different and very interesting people.

It is the most difficult to predict that the army will need the next week and where it can be obtained.

We will win because we love FREEDOM more than life.

In peacetime - my life is SVoYERidNe. The territory of products of Ukrainian interior design.

The beginning of the war started with a call at 5am from a girl who lived in the Cirkuny village and sounds of explosions. Calls to relatives and loved ones, an effort to make a plan of further actions. At that moment, losing connection with my family seemed to me the worst. By the way, this fear remains now.

I don't really like the word volunteer. I just do my work every day as I did it in a peacetime.

Above all (yet :)), because it is unknown what is yet to come), the first unloading of the wagons at the train station was quite memorable. It was half an hour before the start of the curfew ..... I did not even realize what goods my body were able to drag. The most interesting and valuable thing in this work is the people who are nearby.

We will win because we are all together !!!!