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!
The sense of life is to preserve what is valuable and important...
Where do you find the strength and sense of life when war destroys your home and everything you’ve ever known? Last spring, on the ruins of her house in Novoselivka, a town in the Chernihiv region, Ukraine, Ms. Zhanna uttered incredibly powerful words. “When we lost our home – at first, it felt like we lost the ground beneath our feet,” she confessed. “But I consoled myself with the thought that everything valuable is not contained within four walls, but within the heart…”
Their story is similar to many others – there are hardly any surviving houses left in Novoselivka, which the occupants literally leveled to the ground, shelling it every day.
However, the strength of spirit and optimism of the delicate woman was impressive: “We cannot return everything to the way it was. But we can preserve what is valuable and important… The most important thing is that I have someone to hold hands with and someone to extend a helping hand to! And if we were able to build walls and create a sense of home from an empty space before, then we can do it again! Yes, now there are ruins where our house used to be – it’s very painful, but it’s not just about loss… It’s also the story of our struggle, our bravery, strength, and invincibility!”
What is happiness? It's when you find your cat alive amidst the ruins of your home
“You know what is happiness? It’s when you find your cat alive amidst the ruins of your home… When I first went to see what was left of our house, I knew I would cry, but I couldn’t even imagine how happy I would be… The thing is, when we left Novoselivka last spring – we were there until mid-March, volunteering, bringing food to our guys at the checkpoints, collecting food and warm clothes for them, and left only when the soldiers themselves asked us to – when we were leaving, we couldn’t find our cat Ryzhyk. He ran away, scared by the explosions, and no matter how much we searched, how much we called him, he was nowhere to be found… We went to my friend’s in Chernihiv, and as soon as the shelling subsided a bit, we returned to Novoselivka – there was no house left, but from the basement of the neighboring house (it also burned down, but the ground floor survived) – he ran to us… our Ryzhyk! I can’t even describe how happy I was! The most important thing is life, and we will rebuild the walls! Ryzhyk now goes with us to the construction site every day: in the morning there, and in the evening – back. I don’t leave him alone for a minute now! Where we go – he goes!”
We visit Mrs. Zhanna one year after our first meeting – and instead of burnt ruins on the courtyard, we see… a new house!
“There is still work to be done, but I hope that we will be able to live in our own house by summer. What we live on today is hope!” the woman exclaims, her emotions overflowing. “We started building a new house on the foundation of the ruined one – just the kitchen and two rooms for now, but it will be our home again… Our story is not just a story of reconstruction, it is a story of how houses and souls ruined by war come back to life!”
Together - against ruins!
“At first, to be honest, it was very difficult – it seemed like tears and despair had filled every corner of our hearts. The house was only three years old, it was brand new… But that wasn’t even the main thing. It was our home – not just walls, a roof, and furniture, but our memories, our journey as a family. Our dream, which we had nurtured for a long time and worked so hard for, building it together and pouring so much heart and effort into it, and it was hard to see it all destroyed. That’s why we needed some kind of push, a starting point to pull ourselves out of the abyss, find the inner strength and start rebuilding our lives. And that stimulus was volunteer help!”
By the way, Goodacity volunteers were some of the first to visit me in my backyard last year. And seeing such sincere and friendly help, we felt revitalized and gained strength to keep fighting!
This was the sense of life – in love, assistance, and supporting each other in difficult times. Because when you have support, you can overcome any difficulties. And when people help each other, they are capable of much more than when they are alone.
“A great human anthill” – this is the association that comes to mind first when I remember how our reconstruction began.
When we asked for help in clearing the rubble, everyone responded, no one said, “Let’s do it after the war,” laughs Mrs. Zhanna… Finding sense and preserving optimism, feeling unity and supporting each other – this is what we actively learn every day during the war.
Thank you to the volunteers from the “Bo Mozhemo” (Because We Can) Volunteer Association who came to help with the rubble, and thanks for the assistance with materials from Andriy Oleksienko and the “Dah-Chernihiv” Foundation. People from the nearby village of Koryukivka also came to help dismantle the rubble, even with the village head – and this was so inspiring! My husband and I alone would have taken a long time to dismantle it, but as a group, we managed to do it in just a few days! Every day when we were dismantling the rubble, it felt like a burden was lifted from our hearts – I was no longer looking at the ruins of the house, but at the place where we would build our new home…
The sense of life during war: do what you can and where it's needed
“And then the work started to boil over – as they say, “brick by brick” – we were helped by many volunteers and charitable foundations, for which I sincerely thank them all!” says Zhanna. “Human kindness and mutual assistance are just uplifting! How cool our people are – all for one and one for all! Houses are destroyed, but people are unbreakable – that’s about our Novoselivka! We all help each other here: a neighbor recently complained that her tomato seedlings had withered, so I shared mine with her – and the next day, I see her coming with flowers, saying that it’s to make you feel happier…”.
Love of life is love for all living things,” says the woman. “When things were really tough and despair was setting in, I turned to working with the earth – it gave me strength. I told myself, ‘Right now, I’m going to fill in a hole from an air bomb and plant a pear tree there – and it will grow and bloom for me.’ I planted grapevines, flowers, trees… We Ukrainians love our land like nobody else does! They bombarded us with cities and air bombs, trying to level us with the ground, but we didn’t give up – we held onto our land, we sunk our teeth into it, and we survived…
War changes people – we have all become more sensitive to other people’s suffering, and we all help each other. Whoever I turned to, people helped us wholeheartedly.
The other day, I was talking with an acquaintance at the market – I complained that I didn’t have any shoes for working in the garden, and a complete stranger came and brought me a pair!”
Every time our volunteers worked, I would ask them, “Let’s help our neighbors too because we want to support them as well.” And our neighbors looked at us and started rebuilding themselves! What would I advise people who find themselves in a similar situation? Never give in to despair, don’t isolate yourself, knock on every door, and it will open for you. We want to show people by our example that we were able to do it, and they can do it too! Do what you can, where it is needed. To live and to fight, never give up, that is the most important task, and that is the sense of life for each of us now!
I believe that everything will be alright in our village, in our country – that together we can build a strong, prosperous, and happy Ukraine. And no one can stop us because we have such incredible strength, such mighty energy! Let our whole country be filled with love, goodness, and mutual help! And let each of us become a ray of light that will warm the heart of every person around us and help us to go through any trials! Together, we can do anything!
