"Life should not stop." Interview with an activist East-SOS-about how twice because of the war to lose everything and continue to fight

As her work is built and where the Activists have been taking the strength to help the victims of the war for more than eight years, Kateryna Skrypova, chairman of the board of the Vostok-SOS, coordinator of the humanitarian direction, told in an interview with Radio NV. Video of the day - I would like to start with the history of the organization itself. East was created in May 2014. Humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians during the war is not a new activity for you.

However, how does the 2014 and 2022 dose differ? How more complex became the task after February 24, if they became more complex? - It is more difficult only that many more people who need help have become. But with humanitarian assistance we have worked since 2014, when we organized and left Lugansk. Our organization was the first, apparently for three years, was active in the humanitarian direction.

Before February 24, they went to another format of work - the educational process was adjusted - trainings for schools, for human rights activists. The direction for people to learn how to do their rights are protected and used. On February 24, it made its adjustments and we returned to the humanitarian direction. Now it is just completely different than those that were 2014. We help tons of help - this is new to us. And it was a challenge for us, starting with a sharp extension of the team.

If, by February 24, there were 35 people who worked in the East SOS, now our main start is more than 100 people in the organization. We had to evacuate. In the process of evacuation, we have already started working on the collection of donamen, humanitarian aid. Our permanent partners, who have been working with us since 2014, have immediately started to turn on, understanding the whole situation. And on March 5, the first humanitarian aid wagons came.

- I noticed on your website that the educational direction also did not stop. You have a summer school for educators, a thought festival. How can these urgent issues of humanitarian aid for people can combine here and now with more ideological, strategic issues, with work for the future? - It is important for people not only that they will be helped to settle and find what to eat for the first time. They are also very important for their psychological state and support.

And the understanding that they have not thrown, life continues, educational and educational processes continue. We do not throw our teachers. The educational direction was a little reformatted: he gathered all the teachers they worked with, learned where they were, how they were with schools. Due to this aggression, many schools have suffered and they do not know what to do.

Our task is to help as much as we can, as schools, training from online, how to work abroad, how to adapt to such conditions. - How did the thought festival change compared to previous years? Why did you decide that the event should still be held this year? - For us, it was a task with an asterisk - to decide whether to carry it or not to carry out. But still the name speaks for itself - a festival of thoughts. There are always thoughts - whether active fighting or more passive as they were.

And they should always be voiced, understand how to implement them. Now thoughts about what to do in this situation. We decided that people have the right to express their view, their vision, which they have urgent problems in this situation and how we could help solve them or find a common way to solve. So we still decided to hold a festival of thoughts. Topics, of course, are more related to the current situation and how to live with people.

In general, the main discussions will be on online platform, but there are also several small discussions offline. So far - in the Dnieper. But everything [depends on] the situation that will consist on the front, whether it will be safe [the city]. We consider it all. -Since 2014, the East has been working with a very sensitive topic-people affected by the war. It is every time personal stories. Often - very complicated.

One way or another, the team, apparently, has to pass them through themselves, to worry. How in this flow of such stories do you continue to work, find the strength? How do you restore and how to counteract emotional burnout, what occasionally happens to many volunteers? Do you have recipes how to keep and continue to help others? - For each recipe, perhaps, your own. But we have developed supervisions among psychologists - both team and individual.

Each team member can turn to a psychologist, speak with him all the experiences and recover. We also hold a general meeting: we be sure to say every week what we have done. It actually gives impetus to the next job, it shows the overall picture of what we do. And it inspires, gather with our forces and move on. We understand those people who have suffered from the war because the bulk of our team is people who suffered from war. Some first, some - for the second time.

Therefore, we understand how it affects a person when a displaced person when you have some problems when you have left. Perhaps the rejection of those people where you left, who you are. We have already passed this in 2014 - we can tell and help people who are going on for the first time. This is probably a driving force for us: we have experience and we can help overcome all these problems. - I understand that there are no universal recipes, tips that would help everyone.

But for all those who now have the experience of war for the first time and still from that first shock not quite recover? Are there any phrases that really support? - Apparently, there is no universal phrase. When talking to a person, you understand what he needs to hear. There are different situations. One of the first - you can never hold on to something material. Many of our people keep homes, for things. In fact, it can be returned, you can equip.