In the first days of the full-scale invasion, Iryna Alekseeva was thinking only about how to save her two young daughters and survive the occupation of her hometown of Ivankiv in the Kyiv region. On the second day after the town was liberated, she and her husband set up a volunteer center that initially focused on humanitarian aid and, a month later, shifted its focus to weaving camouflage nets. Over more than four years, they have made nearly 100,000 square meters of camouflage nets, tailoring each one to the specific terrain — from the pine forests of the Chernihiv region to the open steppe of the Kherson region.

For Olena Mosendz, volunteering is inseparably connected to her personal story. She was born in the Kherson region, and on February 24, 2022, her hometown of Nova Kakhovka was occupied. Her mother, grandmother, brother and his family, and childhood friends remained there. Olena herself was in Lviv at the time, looking for a way to be useful and help those who had been left in the occupied territory. Together with a friend, she began delivering medicines to civilians in the Kherson region. When the routes for delivering aid were blocked, Olena shifted her focus to supporting military medics — something she continues to do today.

In the second part of our interview, Nadiia talks about friendship, the stereotypes and social isolation that people with disabilities still face, and the importance of treating everyone as an equal. She recalls meeting a 10-year-old girl from Donbas in Lviv, speaks openly about exhaustion and the moments when she feels she has little strength left, and shares what helps her keep going. Finally, she reflects on what lies at the heart of Ukraine’s enduring volunteer movement.

In the first part of our interview, Nadiia reflects on her life before the full-scale invasion, her struggle with persistent pain, and how she first became involved in volunteering. We talk about the people she has met over the years and the experiences that have changed her understanding of what it means to help. Nadiia also shares a simple but important truth: sometimes, the most important thing we can do for another person is simply be there for them.

From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, Yuliia Kachaniuk became part of Ukraine’s volunteer movement. She organized fundraising campaigns, delivered vital supplies to Ukrainian defenders on the front lines, and was joined in this mission by her young son, Makar. Reciting poems written by his mother, he helped raise funds to support Ukraine’s military. We spoke with Yuliia about how her journey as a volunteer began, the turning point that changed her life, the personal sacrifices she has made in her determination to help others, what gives her the strength to keep going even after the most difficult trials, and how Ukraine’s volunteer movement has evolved over more than four years of full-scale war.