[Ukraine] Three Years of Ongoing War (Series 3)
“My dream right now is to go to the Osaka Expo once the war is over.”
Interview with Peace Winds staff, Olena Nezheva
The work supporting Peace Winds’ efforts to assist the people of Ukraine is carried out by local Ukrainian staff. Some of them work in the capital, Kyiv, while worrying about their families remaining in the east. Over the course of this war, the shadow of war has been very close to the everyday work of Peace Winds. For example, male staff members of partner organizations have been drafted into the military, and some of Peace Winds’ staff have lost their lives due to bombings. When the husband of one of our staff members was drafted into the military last autumn, we all felt a painful, suffocating emotion as they thought about him. I asked Olena about what it means to send a family member off to the military in Ukraine today.
I believed I was mentally prepared, however …
━ How did your life change after your partner, who was a businessman, joined the military last year?
Olena: My husband is a construction engineer, and he decided to volunteer for the military because he thought his skills could help the country. We had many discussions, and I thought I was mentally prepared for it, but when I saw him packing to join, it was hard. However, after a few months, I found out that he is working as an engineer in a place not on the front lines, and we can talk on the phone at night, so I’ve calmed down a lot.
━ How does your conversation with him go when you talk on the phone?
Olena: He’s involved in building fortresses, so he’s very busy and seems tired, but he’s applying his expertise and leadership skills, and it seems like he’s doing well.
━ When do you feel the absence of your husband?
Olena: After work, I miss the simple daily activities like chatting at a café or watching a movie together. I sometimes feel lonely because those things are missing now.
My parents live in a city near the front lines in the east
━ You’re from the eastern city, close to where fierce battles are happening with Russia. Do your parents live there?
Olena: Yes, they do. It’s dangerous, so I tried to bring them to Kyiv, but neither of them wants to leave their hometown. My father volunteered early on to go to the front lines and suffered a serious leg injury before returning. Many of his comrades died, so he truly survived by a miracle. But they live in a region that is frequently attacked, so I am constantly worried.
Impression of Past Projects
━ What kind of work do you do at Peace Winds?
Olena: After completing some large projects, I’m currently working with the support of the “Felisimo Earth Village Fund” to provide emotional care for children in the northern Chernihiv region. I’m also handling administrative tasks related to preparations and contracts for upcoming projects.
━ What project has left the strongest impression on you?
Olena: All the projects were important, but the mobile medical project where we visited villages with limited medical facilities left a strong impression on me. We provided women’s health checkups and psychological care. I remember women who hadn’t had health checkups in years after childbirth, and after tests, some were diagnosed with cancer and quickly received treatment. I also remember women who spoke with a therapist for the first time and shared their emotional burdens. It was a meaningful project that saved lives. In the areas we visited, there were long lines of women waiting on bicycles for their checkups. Word spread, and soon people were asking, “Please come again.” It was clear they were waiting for us.
Feeling that we are not forgotten brings hope
━ What does humanitarian aid work mean to you personally?
Olena: The work I’m involved in is just a small part of a big ocean, like a tiny drop. However, instead of crying every day while watching sad news, being able to do something to help has helped my mind become stable. This important work is nourishing for me. I am truly grateful to everyone in Japan who has supported us. Seeing the donations grow through crowdfunding is a source of hope. It makes us feel that “we are not forgotten.” Once the war ends, I want to go to Japan. My dream right now is to visit the Osaka Expo this summer.
━ What project has left the strongest impression on you?
Olena: All the projects were important, but the mobile medical project where we visited villages with limited medical facilities left a strong impression on me. We provided women’s health checkups and psychological care. I remember women who hadn’t had health checkups in years after childbirth, and after tests, some were diagnosed with cancer and quickly received treatment. I also remember women who spoke with a therapist for the first time and shared their emotional burdens. It was a meaningful project that saved lives. In the areas we visited, there were long lines of women waiting on bicycles for their checkups. Word spread, and soon people were asking, “Please come again.” It was clear they were waiting for us.
Feeling that we are not forgotten brings hope
━ What does humanitarian aid work mean to you personally?
Olena: The work I’m involved in is just a small part of a big ocean, like a tiny drop. However, instead of crying every day while watching sad news, being able to do something to help has helped my mind become stable. This important work is nourishing for me. I am truly grateful to everyone in Japan who has supported us. Seeing the donations grow through crowdfunding is a source of hope. It makes us feel that “we are not forgotten.” Once the war ends, I want to go to Japan. My dream right now is to visit the Osaka Expo this summer.
Visiting a kindergarten in Chernihiv
━ What project has left the strongest impression on you?
Olena: All the projects were important, but the mobile medical project where we visited villages with limited medical facilities left a strong impression on me. We provided women’s health checkups and psychological care. I remember women who hadn’t had health checkups in years after childbirth, and after tests, some were diagnosed with cancer and quickly received treatment. I also remember women who spoke with a therapist for the first time and shared their emotional burdens. It was a meaningful project that saved lives. In the areas we visited, there were long lines of women waiting on bicycles for their checkups. Word spread, and soon people were asking, “Please come again.” It was clear they were waiting for us.
Mobile Medical Teams Visit Villages
Feeling that we are not forgotten brings hope
━ What does humanitarian aid work mean to you personally?
Olena: The work I’m involved in is just a small part of a big ocean, like a tiny drop. However, instead of crying every day while watching sad news, being able to do something to help has helped my mind become stable. This important work is nourishing for me. I am truly grateful to everyone in Japan who has supported us. Seeing the donations grow through crowdfunding is a source of hope. It makes us feel that “we are not forgotten.” Once the war ends, I want to go to Japan. My dream right now is to visit the Osaka Expo this summer.