Violence in wartime, conflict, and post-conflict situations forms a background that systematically feeds the spirit of hatred, helplessness, and despair. It saturates the general atmosphere with fear and aggression, a sense of humiliation and lack of freedom, distorting human relationships and often turning them into their opposite. We witnessed the consequences of this through the story of Kateryna. The war came to their village suddenly, though troubles had already struck her family before that. Yet with the war, every day became a trial for 27-year-old Kateryna: explosions on the outskirts, cold nights, the inability to provide her children with the bare essentials… But the greatest ordeal wasn’t even that—her husband had fully turned into a nightmare. He beat her, abused the children—and there was no one to turn to for help. The war had robbed her of the opportunity to escape the abuser, to protect herself, to ensure the safety of her five-year-old and seven-year-old sons. With her last hope, Kateryna turned to the “Volunteer-68 Humanitarian Aid Centre,” begging for rescue. According to her, she had already given up on herself. She was only terrified for her children, who flinched at every explosion, heard constant swearing, and suffered beatings from their father. Our evacuation team, risking their own lives, took the family out of the danger zone and housed them in the “Without Limits” shelter—a temporary residence. There, for the first time in a long while, she could sleep peacefully, and the children could play without startling at every sound. However, Kateryna's emotional nature led her into another misstep. A week later, she decided to reunite with her new-old love in Kharkiv. She probably believed that everything would be fine with this new man’s support—that he wasn’t like the monster she had just escaped from. But the story repeated itself. A few months later, we received a phone call. Kateryna was crying, begging for someone to rescue her and the children. The “beloved” turned out to be just as cruel: he humiliated her, kicked her out onto the street, yelled at the children. Once again, we brought her back and placed her in a dormitory for internally displaced families with children. Kateryna again had a safe place to live, received social and psychological support, and was able to recover. She attended our training sessions on combating gender-based violence and learned to recognize its signs. But time passed, and once again her emotional tendencies and rosy fantasies led her down a dangerous path… And once again—a call, the same despair, the same tears. We rescued her again, housed her again in our shelter. She’s still with us. It seems Kateryna truly understands now that violence is not love and relationships can be built differently. We helped her file for divorce and begin the process of depriving her husband of parental rights. She managed to find a job, and her children finally started school. It seems that Kateryna is no longer afraid of an independent future. She’s building it herself, thanks to a rethinking of her own experience. That’s what we want to believe. Because the sense of inferiority, the learned helplessness that come with long-term exposure to any form of violence, strike cruelly at personal wholeness and make escaping from the grip of such experience an extremely difficult task.

Oleksiy Filimonov 29.07.1980 – 02.12.2024   Oleksiy was born in the gentle summer of 1980. He was a child like any other – bringing joy to his family and loved ones. Yet, he had one remarkable trait: from a young age, he had a special sensitivity to the world of beauty and living things – he found joy in every little blade of grass.   He studied at Kharkiv School No. 35 and was a good student. Oleksiy read a lot, wrote poetry, and was passionate about chess – often winning in tournaments. After finishing school, Oleksii enrolled in a technical college majoring in Repair and Maintenance of Medical Equipment. However, his creative nature drew him toward more natural and tactile pursuits. At different times, Oleksiy worked as a shoemaker, crafted custom furniture, and engaged in painting and other hands-on work that called for a sense of aesthetics.   His last civilian job was with the support service of the NGO "Volunteer-68". Even in this emotionally demanding role, Oleksiy proved to be a compassionate and responsible person.  Oleksiy joined the Armed Forces in 2024 and served in the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Magura", in the 2nd Engineer-Sapper Unit.   Oleksiy Serhiiovych was killed in action in the Kursk region of Russian Federation on December 2, 2024. He left behind a grieving daughter, brother, and mother.   Glory Eternal!

The term "gaslighting" originates from the title of a play and later a famous Hollywood film, "Gaslight," in which a manipulative husband tries to drive his wife insane to take advantage of her inheritance. Today, the term refers to a form of psychological manipulation aimed at making someone doubt their perception of reality, rendering the victim dependent on the manipulator. There are many gaslighting techniques, including feigning misunderstanding, accusing the victim of distorting facts, questioning their ability to remember correctly or make reasonable conclusions, making them believe that their thoughts or needs are unimportant, or that they are emotionally unstable. The manipulator may also deny promises made, suggest that the victim is too intrusive or aggressive, and even portray themselves as the real victim. Gaslighting is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence. We encountered such a situation firsthand—here is Olena’s story. Olena and her cohabitant evacuated from Kupiansk at the beginning of 2024. Like most evacuees, they settled in a temporary accommodation facility. Olena had been suffering from mental disorders for 20 years and was under observation at a psychiatric dispensary in Kupiansk. During the occupation, her documents were damaged and became invalid by the time of the evacuation, making her dependent on her cohabitant’s “mediation,” as he willingly represented her interests. The man had full control over her, taking advantage of her vulnerable state and exerting constant pressure, preventing her from making decisions independently. Fear and uncertainty became her constant companions. This significantly worsened Olena’s mental health and complicated her stay in the shelter. After the administration of the temporary accommodation facility contacted our Center, case managers spoke with Olena, and a decision was made to relocate her to our "Without Limits" Shelter, where she received constant care and assistance in restoring her identity documents and disability certificate. At the shelter, Olena felt safe for the first time in many years. A professional psychotherapist and social workers began supporting her, helping her recognize her own value and understand that she should not live in fear and dependency. Her condition improved significantly—she started communicating with other shelter residents, becoming less withdrawn and more confident. We understood that she needed a long-term safe place to live with appropriate care. Thanks to our efforts, we found a specialized boarding house in one of the Baltic countries, where professional medical assistance, support, and decent living conditions awaited her. Today, Olena is in a safe place where she is treated with care and respect. She is no longer dependent on her abuser. Her life has changed completely.

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VOLUNTEER - 68 Thousands of people have lost their homes, health, loved ones and the opportunity to live a normal life. In these difficult conditions, we strive to be a support for those who need it most. Our team works every day to support people with limited mobility, people with disabilities, the elderly and everyone who finds themselves in a difficult situation. Learn more 10000+ rescued from the front lines 2000+ patronage transportation 2500+ social support was provided 102000+ humanitarian aid kits 51000+ processed requests for assistance Evacuation Learn more Cartridge transportation Learn more Social support Learn more Targeted assistance Learn more Shelter “Without Borders” Learn more Help for women Learn more Be part of the change. Make your contribution! Donate Latest news 3 days ago Saving the untidy George Feb 7 Проєкт "60+Активна" Feb 4 Report on the results of the survey of the needs of the beneficiaries of the NGO “Volunteer - 68” All news Our partners and donors All partners and donors