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!
Helping children during the war – fulfilling their dreams
Alinka and Olenka are two sisters, two schoolgirls, two girls from a small border village in Chernihiv region… Two mother’s joys, two inspired dreamers, two young artists… Two children whose eyes sparkle with happiness, and whose dream – no matter how modest and simple it may seem at first glance – has come true! And this helping children during the war cannot but please the benefactors.
Childhood, turned upside down by war
“War and children” – these two words should not be together, but this is our sad reality today… Because of the war, our children have such adult eyes – that’s why seeing them happy is double happiness for parents!
“You should have seen their eyes – how much happiness was there! The girls couldn’t be happier that they now have their own gadget for studying,” says the girls’ mother, Mrs. Nadia. “And how enthusiastic they were about the paint-by-number pictures – they’ve been drawing every day! Thanks to the kind-hearted people at Goodacity for helping children during the war – for the girls, the tablet is not just a toy, but a necessity, as most of their education is now remote due to the security situation.
The enemy is not only destroying schools and hospitals – they seek to destroy the future of our children by taking away their ability to learn. However, we will not be broken, and we will not give up – and thanks to all the caring philanthropists, the future of our children will be saved!”
Alinka is in the third grade – she goes to school twice a week, and learns online for the other three days. The older sister, Olenka, goes to school once a week and learns remotely for all the other days – the storage in the school is small, and since our village is only a few dozen kilometers from the Russian border, the safety of the children is paramount for parents and teachers! The girls try very hard, they want to learn, and I felt very sorry that because I can’t afford to buy them the necessary gadgets, they lose a lot… Now the girls will be able to catch up on everything – with a modern tablet, they will be able to communicate with teachers and complete homework on time.
They are already great kids – our children are now studying underground, in hiding places, and by candlelight or flashlight, when we sit without electricity for many hours… But under any conditions and circumstances, they still learn and do not lose their enthusiasm for learning!
Such work is to help people
Nadiya Petrovna is a social worker. She is always where help is needed.
“A social worker is a person who serves people,” says Nadiya. “She helps, takes care of, saves and protects. I help the elderly – some have children who live far away, some have been left alone due to various circumstances. I clean their homes, buy food, medicine, pay utility bills, and comfort them.”
She has worked in difficult times for the country and her wards. Last spring, during the full-scale Russian invasion, she also went to lonely, helpless, and frightened elderly people who were waiting for her. She brought them food and medicine. She was afraid herself, but she went because she knew that besides her, they had no one else to rely on for help.
“When the war started, they were very scared,” recalls Mrs. Nadiya. “But I came, helped, comforted, and supported them psychologically so that they could see that they were not alone, not abandoned to their fate…
Psychological assistance during the war is also extremely important! It was very important for them to have someone come to them – and at least hold their hand, hug them, say a kind word. There are very old people who have already experienced a second war in their lifetime. They are very worried, but like everyone else, they hope that Ukraine will win!”
"If you do good, forget about it. If someone does good to you, remember it for a lifetime"
Every day, a woman comes to her wards with a smile. She feels their emotional state and knows how to find an approach, cheer up, or support them.
“I put my heart and soul into this work,” says Mrs. Nadiya. “I enjoy it, although it’s not easy. You need to find an approach to each person, delve into their problems, and empathize with them. My wards live quite far away, so it’s hard to reach everyone on foot. So, in the summer or winter, in the rain or snow, I get on my bike and go. I spend the whole day going around: to the store, pharmacy, market, or post office, riding my bike like a real racer,” she laughs. “The hardest part is in the summer when it’s hot, or in the winter when there’s heavy snow, and I have to carry heavy bags. I visit four or five people a day. Bring firewood, clean up, deliver food to lonely elderly people who, due to their age and health conditions, cannot reach the store or go to the post office – this is such a simple but necessary daily help.”
When you treat people well, they will pay you back with kindness and gratitude. If you clean someone’s house or plant a garden for them, they are happy, and it makes me feel better too. I try to do everything so that people don’t complain. That’s why I often say that social work is not just a job, it’s a calling! A calling to save people from loneliness and the unbearable thought that you are no longer needed by anyone.
And while I’m at work all day, my girls are at home alone – I leave them borscht and porridge in the oven, they can take care of themselves now… Earlier, when I saw them standing on a stool to heat up their food, tears came to my eyes – I felt so sorry for them, such little ones… I am a single mother myself – my husband passed away a year and a half ago, it’s tough for us, but we have to keep going. That’s why human warmth is so touching to me – when someone helps us too. Thank you, Goodacity, for your help and kindness! You know, there’s a saying: “Do good and forget it; do good to you and remember it all your life.” These words have stuck with me. I try to live by them!
