I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
So, if you are looking for stories that inspire and motivate, that instill faith and help find meaning while believing in goodness, read my stories on the Goodacity website.
I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
Childhood – Against All Odds!
“My name is Dmytro. I live in the city of Kramatorsk, Ukraine. I’m asking for a small weight set so I can work out at home because it’s really hard to train outside – we often have air raid sirens…” The boy in sportswear is noticeably nervous as he records his heartfelt video message…
Dmytro is 12. A typical boy who loves soccer, ice cream, and hanging out with friends – all the simple joys of a happy childhood. But his childhood – a childhood in a frontline city – is about courage and resilience…
Kramatorsk… “A ghost town” – that’s how journalists described the frontline city just a year ago.
Today, both the city and its residents are gradually coming back to life, yet life here is oh, so challenging – from one air raid to the next, which is why the letter from young athlete Dmytro touched us so deeply.
“For him, sports is a sort of lifeline,” says Dmytro’s mom, Olya. “With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, we had to leave our home. I lived in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the children for almost a year. Far from home, friends, and family, all alone… What do you cling to when you don’t have your own walls? It was hardest for Dmytro – he missed home, his school friends, whom he now only saw on Zoom during classes, everything we had to leave behind.”
The Courage to Start Over from Scratch!
“Last spring, our Kramatorsk was under fire,” Mrs. Olya recounts. “At first, we thought we could wait it out, but the shelling became increasingly intense, and with hospitals, stores, and pharmacies no longer operating in the city, we decided to leave with the children…
We left Kramatorsk on April 9th. Why is this date etched in my memory? Because it’s a horrifying, tragic date – on April 8th, Russian occupiers fired missiles at the station where people were waiting for evacuation trains, and many people died that day – both adults and children… We were supposed to be there that day too but couldn’t get train tickets and decided to postpone our departure to the next day. It was a real nightmare – and we miraculously avoided it, miraculously survived…
With my two children – Dmytro and my older daughter, we set off into the unknown: first to Dnipro, Ukraine, and then we moved to Kyiv, Ukraine.
We thought we were leaving for a few weeks, but ended up staying almost a year. It took courage to start life “from zero” as well. But our thoughts were always with our hometown and the people who remained there…
Volunteers from the Goodacity charity got to know Mrs. Olya last fall – moved by her concern for an elderly, lonely neighbor who had stayed in the city. Together, we managed to help the woman.
“I really resonate with the saying that in dark times, the bright people shine through,” says Mrs. Olya. “We all need to find those bright moments now – despite everything, to support and help whoever we can. We need, you know, persistence in doing good: each of us can help someone – you just have to want to, not think – why should I, but – no one but me!” the woman says. “We received help in our new place from all the caring people too: some help us, and we help others… That’s how we live! How else?”.
Home Is a Place of Strength!
“What do I remember most from nearly a year of forced displacement? Incredible humanity and mutual assistance. Despite the hardships – we had nothing, and my children and I initially all slept together on a single sofa in a rented apartment, there were good and bright moments… Neighbors, upon learning where we had come from, treated us very warmly, genuinely cared for us – they took us for walks, organized picnics for the kids… After all, childhood doesn’t wait for the war to end – it’s here and now! People we had never known before became so invested in our fate – it’s heartwarming to know such people exist! Even now, having returned to Kramatorsk, we keep in touch with them.
We’ve been home for over a month now. Home… I never really thought about how much is contained in that word before. Home is a place of strength, where the sun rises in its own special way. It’s the city where every street and corner is familiar, where so many dear and close people to me live.
People often ask me – aren’t you afraid, wasn’t it hard to come back? My answer: coming back wasn’t hard. What was hard was being elsewhere.
Dmytro really wanted to come home, he missed his friends, and perhaps of all of us, he found it the hardest. We all wanted to be here – where our heart is, where our life is. At home, even the walls help – now we know what that means… Yes, the war still rages, shells still fall, the front isn’t so far from us – but we believe in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and are convinced that we will celebrate our Victory in our hometown! Home is home… No matter how hard or scary, this is home. What do we plan to do next? Live! Live and wait for the victory, contributing to it in whatever way we can.”
The Power of Sports in Wartime!
“Kramatorsk is slowly returning to normal life – gas and heating came back in the fall, and people are gradually returning – the city isn’t as empty as it was a year ago… A city is, first and foremost, its people. Someone needs to be here, work, buy groceries, fill this city with life. Now in Kramatorsk, about a dozen pharmacies and small shops are operational again… Our neighbor, Raisa Tymofiyivna, whom we helped together, was delighted by our return, saying it’s good to have company, it’ll be cheerier for her now…
Dmytro misses his friends and the clubs he attended before the major conflict: he spent five years wrestling, collecting medals for his “treasure chest,” played basketball, and took up boxing in Kyiv. We were fortunate to find a wonderful coach who worked with the kids for free, trying to distract them and alleviate stress.
He paid for the gym rental himself, training the kids – he said he wanted to help them in at least this way.
Currently, in Kramatorsk, there are no clubs or activities for kids – so we have to think about how to occupy and entertain my son… He’s such a good boy, helps me with everything! Once a week, they distribute bread here – you have to go at 5 in the morning, line up – and Dmytro always goes with me, trying to support me in everything!
Thank you, Goodacity, for the weight set and sports equipment for Dmytro – he was so happy, immediately started training! For him, sports are a powerful form of stress relief: it helps him unwind psychologically, teaches him to work hard and to win. I believe that we all have many victories ahead, including that most longed-for one! Courage is when love is stronger than fear… The courage to be Ukraine! My country will be happy, my city will bloom and be as beautiful as before the war. We’ll fight and we’ll win, I believe in that. And these aren’t just empty words for me. I wake up with this conviction and go to sleep with it, and it keeps me going!”.
