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“I wish my peers not to lose themselves. Our main task at the moment is setting ourselves some tasks for self-improvement”, -  Oleksandr Biletsky, 15, school student, Kharkiv

I lived an ordinary life – I went to a lyceum, studied English, and attended a math club. I went out with my friends and played video games in my free time. On February 24th, my morning started when I woke up to explosions. The windows of my high-rise building faced a beautiful view of the forest, behind which you could see the outskirts of Chuguyiv. It was there that Russian missiles hit in the first minutes of the war. The explosions continued all day. I saw it with my own eyes. I can assure you, it was scary.

We decided that it was dangerous to spend the night in the apartment, and in the evening, we arranged a sleeping place in the basement. On February 25, my parents decided to flee Kharkiv and leave for the west of Ukraine. The journey was difficult. On that day, thousands of Kharkiv residents went away looking for safe places. Gas stations were running out of gas. We had to spend hours in queues waiting for fuel. The way to the Dnipro, which we used to reach in two hours, took the whole day. We spent the night there in a hotel and drove on. The next night we spent in Vinnytsia Oblast. We did not know where we would find the final place for our temporary shelter. But we understood that we needed a place that did not suffer from constant missile attacks. 

Now we live in Chernivtsi. It is a very beautiful old city. Mom found a job there, and dad relocated his business. I went to study at a local school. The new class met me well. I miss my Kharkiv classmates very much, and I hope that after the war ends, I will return to my city.

I invited my classmate to come to the camp, and I am happy that we took the training together with him and had a chance to communicate.

After the training sessions, I looked at myself and my character traits from a different angle, I became more creative, and I saw ways for self-development. 

I was fascinated by our hike in the mountains, we really liked our evening tea parties. The only thing I didn't like was that the shift ended very soon. I would like to stay there longer.

I wish my peers not to lose themselves. Our main task at the moment is setting ourselves some tasks for self-improvement. Because we must meet the victory educated, strong and focussed on further attainments.

 

The comprehensive psychosocial programme for teenagers “Energy of Your Future” is implemented within the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme with support by the European Union and financial support by Denmark.