My name is Victor. I am 15 years old and from the small town of Bashtanka in Mykolaiv region. Many times I thought about what my life would be like if this war didn’t begin.

The first day of spring 2022 will forever remain in my memory. Then, in my small town, real hell began: air bombs, a continuous series of explosions, street fights. The electricity, water, and gas supply disappeared in Bashtanka. A damp and cold basement became my new home.

I have had a disease since childhood that requires constant treatment and medical supervision. Every day I felt worse, which led to an exacerbation of the disease, and the stock of medicines quickly disappeared. Pharmacies and shops were destroyed. It became more and more dangerous to stay. Therefore, my mother and I were forced to leave Bashtanka with only two backpacks, where there was barely enough space for the necessary medicines, documents, and a bottle of water. So I left my home, friends, childhood, and dreams for an indefinite time.

After getting to a safe place, I tried to help my country in various ways to win. I coordinated humanitarian aid from Spain and Italy to Bashtanka. With the team of the international volunteer organization EngIN, I wrote more than 100 letters to US senators with a request to close the sky over Ukraine. I was hoping it would work. All the time abroad, I dreamed of returning home.

At the beginning of August 2023, my life changed radically, when I received an offer to participate in the UActive program. In the fall, I finally returned home and met my friends. We felt a strong desire to contribute to the restoration of our hometown. Who but us will help our community to improve?

We noticed that people began to withdraw from events not only in the country, but, unfortunately, in the community as well. And it became a problem. This is how the “Tomodachi” team and our “Community on the Screen” project appeared.

Before the full-scale invasion, locals often met near the central square. This is the heart of our small town. But everything changed the day the Russians invaded our city. At the beginning of March 2022, citizens of our town stopped the enemy offensive – that’s what our town is known for. We decided to install an LED screen in the same place that has seen so much, to highlight the most current news and unparalleled stories about our compatriots.

Although the war stole my childhood, nothing can steal my dreams. Thanks to the UActive program, I have learned to keep going and never give up. Every finish is a new start.

After graduating from school, I want to apply to university and study cybersecurity. I believe that as a specialist I will be able to contribute to the development of our country because the Ukraine of my dreams is a developed and flourishing state. I see my future in Ukraine and I dream of making a better life in our country.