About yourself
I’m Anastasia Lemba, I’m 22 years old, I was born and live in Bucha, Kyiv region. After the 9th grade I entered the College of Engineering and Management of the National Aviation University (NAU). After receiving a junior specialist diploma, I continued my studies in the bachelor’s degree programme at the Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, specialising in management, and at NAU at the Faculty of Law. While studying, I worked at McDonald’s. I recently quit my job and plan to continue working in my field of study. I am the founder of the Pole of Light charity.
On 24 February 2022, the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
This is the only day of my life that I remember every second. It’s five in the morning and my mother comes into the room: “Nastya, wake up, the war has started”. At first, I didn’t understand anything, I was still asleep, and a minute later I was fully awake, with goose bumps, trying to recover, leaving the room, listening to the official news.
I had an online class at the university at 8am. I listened to them and taped up all the windows… I will never forget how two helicopters flew a metre above the house, the powerful air from their propellers stirring up everything in the yard. My father told me to pack my things and leave, but I didn’t want to. But the helicopters continued to fly by the dozens, and the paratroopers landed just a few kilometres from my house, so the decision was no longer in doubt. At 5pm my mother, grandmother, three sisters and aunt left, leaving my father and godfather at home. To say that those days were a nightmare, knowing that they were there, under occupation, would be an understatement.
About volunteering since 2014
My volunteering can be divided into two parts: when I was 12 and when I was 21.
When the war in eastern Ukraine started in 2014, my sisters, brother and I helped our parents, who were part of a volunteer team preparing dried borscht and soups for our defenders at the front. We peeled sacks of onions, carrots, and beetroot and made bracelets out of blue and yellow ribbons.
On volunteering after the invasion
“In the first months of the full-scale invasion, I needed help myself, as I left Bucha with a minimum of belongings. Incredibly sincere, kind and intelligent people gave us shelter in the village of Volovtsi in Zakarpattia and tried to help us with everything. I am very grateful to them.
I had the experience of helping to purify water for the inhabitants of the Kherson region after the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam was blown up in the summer of 2023.
Later, one autumn day, it was announced in the group at the university I graduated from that people who had a soldering iron and knew how to solder were needed to make overbanks. I didn’t know how to solder and I didn’t have a soldering iron, but I decided to see what it was all about and give it a try. I tried it and it worked.
There were only five of us in the beginning, and I started asking my friends to volunteer. That’s how my first team was formed. With that, we split off and started working independently, with our own audience to raise funds and a bunch of orders for overbanking.
About the foundation
I decided to register the Charitable Foundation “The Pole of Light” when I realised that we had a lot of orders and a large audience of supporters who wanted to help. I thought it would be better to make a statement about ourselves as something specific, not just as “a team that does overbanking”. Being a registered charity inspires confidence because we have an official name, registration, and reporting.
We employ 21 people. Among them are part of my family and students of the Irpin Professional College of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. I am very grateful to all of them for persevering and continuing to help on the front line.
I work with everyone all the time, and I am also involved in reporting, social media, processing applications, distributing and sending parcels to our defenders. Yoga helps me to keep up the pace and to be in harmony with myself. Since I’ve graduated from university and haven’t found a job yet, I’ve been able to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Before the invasion, this was my hobby: cooking delicious and beautiful food. The kitchen is my comfort zone.
About Power Banks
Power banks are all about recharging, and recharging is the first thing you need in the field in the war of innovation and the world of technology. They can be used to charge thermal imagers, walkie-talkies, batteries for other essential equipment and a phone to keep in touch with your family for at least a minute.
Making them is a rather tedious and difficult task with many organisational issues. In terms of components, the main part is used e-cigarettes that contain batteries. You will also need a 3D printer, plastic to print the casing, solder, wires and circuit boards.
Homemade sub-ohm batteries are 10 or even 15 times cheaper than industrial ones. The cost of one of ours is about 100 hryvnias.
We are not looking for anyone to whom we can hand over the products. It’s enough to be active on Instagram, Facebook and tik-tok, that’s how people contact us. Usually all orders come through a Google form that is posted on our social media.
In almost a year of operation, we have produced over 3500 power banks, which have been delivered to hundreds of soldiers.
From power banks to FPV drones
Six months ago, the Foundation made a technological leap: we started manufacturing FPV drones, refurbishing trophy equipment and assembling new equipment. This was made possible thanks to my motivated and intelligent friends, who are not willing to stand still and who have expanded my vision of the Foundation’s activities with their ideas. As of today, five drones have been completed. There would be more, but fundraising for spare parts is slow. Please join us in this endeavour.
What motivates you to continue your work?
I don’t know if there is anything that could demotivate me when the only goal is to bring peace to Ukraine as soon as possible.
First, I am motivated by my team. They are incredible people who support me. Eighty percent of them are students who are burning with ideas for the Foundation’s activities and a great desire to help our military. These teenagers and young adults have conscious opinions about the current situation in the country, and I am grateful to their parents for that. Another motivation is the understanding that I am supporting others and creating opportunities for them to participate in our victory by doing useful things.
I have had leadership qualities since I was a child, and it’s great to be able to use them to the full now. At the same time, I am not a “bossy boss” in the Foundation, but rather an experienced mentor who can be consulted.
Will the Foundation continue its work after the victory?
After victory, our foundation will breathe a sigh of relief and thank our military for finally allowing us to breathe freely and do what we want. We have no plans to continue working, but the skills we have acquired are for life. We hope they will never be needed again, but we will always be ready to help.
Link to the Instagram page of the Foundation “The Pole of Light”.
Translator: Ivan Chepaykin
