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!
A Family Where... Eight "I's" Shine!
Their home in Kozeltsi, Ukraine, is modest but incredibly warm and cozy. Six pairs of children’s shoes line the entryway, among them the tiny “tops” of one-year-old Damir’s feet. This is a place ruled by love and the cheerful chatter of children. And when a pair of military boots joins the lineup of shoes at the entrance, the house is filled with true joy: Dad has come home!
The Kovtunenko family is a bustling household of six children, a nurturing mother, and a father-protector. Over a year and a half ago, Chernihiv region, Ukraine, became their new sanctuary – this is where Mrs. Natalya arrived with the children from Bakhmut, Ukraine. From a city of sorrow, now left with nothing…
“My husband is in the military, he was defending Chernihiv region in the spring of ’22, while I was in Bakhmut with our five children,” Mrs. Natalya shares.
“The oldest was eight, the youngest was only two, and I was pregnant with another child… Our dad has been serving for six years now. Ihor decided to dedicate his life to the army in 2017 – he signed a contract, was in the then ATO zone… I was so worried about him – there were weeks when he couldn’t make contact, and the kids – we had three by then – really missed him, cried, wondering why other kids’ dads picked them up from kindergarten, but theirs didn’t… The war had been very close to us for ten years, but in February ’22, it came right to our doorstep”.
The Apartment Was on the Fifth Floor – A Shell Hit, and It Ended Up on the First
“I still can’t calmly recall last winter’s events,” shares Mrs. Natalya, the mother of six and the guardian of a large family.
At that time, I was four months pregnant with Damir, and Ihor was serving in Chernihiv region. On the very first day, February 24th, at six in the morning, we experienced a very powerful explosion nearby. Both the children and I were terrified. I immediately burst into tears, panicking: what to do, where to run?.. However, I tried not to show the children how incredibly scared I was – through tears and pain, I calmed them down, saying everything would be okay…”
Initially, Natalya didn’t tell the children what was happening, saying it was just the noise from construction. Then, Dad called and said it was war… By April, she and the children were still in Bakhmut – and with each day, the shelling became stronger and more brutal… Their apartment was on the fifth floor, and the children slept fully dressed throughout March – so they could quickly run to the shelter with all five of them if needed, because in such circumstances, even a minute or two mattered…
It was hard and scary – the line of conflict was drawing closer to the city every day. By then, the children understood very well that a war was going on – they saw and felt many of its horrors firsthand…
The scariest part was that Natalya was alone with the small children – Ihor was defending Chernihiv region at the time. When they were lucky enough to make contact, he first asked if everything was okay with them, and when Natalya asked about him, he would say that everything was calm, all was well – he wouldn’t tell her anything to avoid worrying her unnecessarily… And only in August, after Natalya gave birth to Damir, he began to sparingly share where he had been and what he had actually done and gone through…
“In early April, my husband’s comrades evacuated us from Bakhmut – we packed in a hurry, I only took documents with me. There was a very heavy shelling at that time, and I was afraid that if I stayed in the apartment longer to gather things, it might be too late – because it was already thundering very close. That was the last time I was in our apartment – now, there’s neither it, nor the building, nor, practically, the city left…”
“We bought our four-room apartment two years before the war, saved up for it for a long time, spent a year renovating it, put so much effort and money into it. Lived there for half a year – and that’s it. The apartment was on the fifth floor – a shell hit, and it ended up on the first…”
First, they went to Kramatorsk, Ukraine – the day before, it had been heavily shelled by Russian forces, from there to Kyiv, Ukraine, and then to Chernihiv region. The journey took one and a half days – by train, by buses. Natalya was in such a state of shock that she didn’t even bring food for the children – her mother grabbed some apples and a bottle of water, and that was all they had…
In Chernihiv region, they initially lived for a month in a kindergarten building in Skrypchyni, Ukraine, then they were given a house in the village of Pushkari, Ukraine, but it was completely unfit for living: mice were running around, there was no gas – and they were expecting a baby…
“When our Damir was born in August, we started looking for new housing, and now we are here, in Kozeltsi. It’s not easy, but we are making do. People here are kind, good, and they welcomed us well. It will be two years on April 8th since we’ve been here. We’ve gotten used to it, settled in a bit, made friends, and even godparents. On August 27th, here, in Kozeltsi, our Damir was born. Life goes on, the children are growing, new Ukrainians are growing! Everything will be alright with us!”.
A Large Family: Love Multiplied by Six
“Our story of meeting Ihor is a tale of Fate!” smiles the woman.
“The thing is, we met… thanks to a random phone call! I was still a student, studying, and one day I decided to just dial a number – a random combination of digits, you know, just shooting in the dark. Ihor answered the phone – I hung up in surprise, but after a while, he called back…”
One word led to another, they started talking, exchanged messages, and somehow immediately felt that they were kindred spirits, caring deeply for each other. Natalya lived in Bakhmut, while Ihor, as it turned out, was not far, just 20 kilometers away from her, in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine. They communicated for a long time before meeting in person – until Ihor got sick, was hospitalized, and Natalya went to visit him. Since 2013, they have been together, this April celebrating their 10th anniversary.
“I never thought that a simple phone call would change my entire life. I was so lucky with my husband – and I am grateful to fate for this turn of events! I always knew I wanted a large family and lots of kids!” says Mrs. Natalya.
“A child is always love, and in our case – love… multiplied by six!”
“Five brave boys and our princess, our little flower Milana – it’s such happiness, such incredible emotions, it’s hard to express. Every time I start talking about them, I get teary-eyed… The oldest, Mykyta, is 10, Danylo is 9, Yaroslav is 7, Milana just turned 6, Mark is three, and Damir is one year and three months old. Our little Cossack runs around and is curious about everything, and when dad comes home – it’s pure joy for him, he immediately runs into his dad’s arms!
Our dad is currently serving here, in Chernihiv region. People often ask me – how can you let him go? I say – what else can I do?! He’s not the only one, many have children, but defending Ukraine is a must – everyone goes, everyone risks… I believe that everything will be alright! My husband calls the kids whenever he can – to hear them, to see them, to talk to them. The children are everything to us! We can’t imagine our lives without them!”
The little ones took a long time to recover from their experiences, they were afraid of sirens and loud sounds, but now, fortunately, everything is fine. We all need to stay strong for such kids – they also want to help the Ukrainian military, often asking their dad about his service…
The older kids go to school, the younger ones are still with Natalya. The kids were involved in dancing, football, and have many awards, medals, and certificates. The oldest, Mykyta, has four medals, three of them for first place; Danylo and Yaroslav also have awards for first and second place. Here, in Kozeltsi, they also go to football, unfortunately, there’s no opportunity to take them to dance classes now, as Natalya has to take the younger ones with her… It’s not hard with the little ones, as the children help her with everything!
“Mykyta is only 10, but he’s already such a helper! He’s very kind, gentle, always ready to help. I can rely on him for everything: if I need to go outside to feed the chickens or ducks – we keep a small farm here – I can leave the little ones with him, and he will take care of them. He also helps Milana with her studies: teaches her the alphabet, and they have already filled an entire notebook together, both finding it interesting and enjoyable!”
On December 2nd, Mykyta will participate in a Ukrainian language Olympiad – a very important event for him, he’s both nervous and excited! Yaroslav and Danylo look up to their brother, they are all one team!
“Right now, Damir is teething, and when I rock him to calm him down, Danylo or Mykyta can make scrambled eggs, and prepare tea with sandwiches. The kids are great, very independent.”
Even three-year-old Mark wants to join in and do something with everyone! And Milana, being the only girl, commands everyone around!) Each in their own way, as best they can, helps out.
They have a stove for heating, no gas, they buy firewood and burn it, so the children help their father chop wood – of course, they’re not allowed to handle the saw, but bringing and stacking the wood, they do with pleasure! Together with dad, when he’s home, they learn to mow the lawn and do some age-appropriate work.
Raising six children means dedicating not just a part of your life, but your entire life to them. Despite his service and daily duties, the husband tries to spend as much free time as possible with the children. And how they gravitate towards him, how they listen to their dad!
“The most important thing is to teach them all to live in peace with others, with themselves, to show the children that together they are a force,” says Mr. Ihor. “We show our children by example that we are not afraid of difficulties!”.
Yes, Natalya has a lot of work every day – because there are six of them, and she’s alone, and there’s so much to do. Wash, cook, clean – and the water is outside, get the kids ready for school, feed them, and in the evening – help with homework. And then there’s spending time with the children – not just tossing toys at them and saying “play,” but being together, because these are incredibly inspiring moments!
“People are different, react differently to our large family, we’ve had ‘kind’ people ‘sympathize’: ‘Aren’t you tired of giving birth over and over’, or saying – it’s for the social benefits… It’s even funny to respond to such insinuations! We had our children knowing full well they’d need to be clothed, fed, brought up – relying primarily on our own strength. I’ve never regretted that there are so many of us. It’s strange that I have to explain that my children are my greatest happiness! The feeling when they all cuddle up to us in the evening is incredible. What more could you need in life?”
