Serhiy, 44 years old, Donetsk

He has already had to flee the war twice in his life. The first time - from his native Donetsk, and the second time - after the full-scale invasion - from Kyiv. Each time it was hard to leave his business and home, his usual peace and stability. The family decided to evacuate because it was loud and they feared for their children's lives.

The new refuge was a small town in the Lviv region, where they had to start life from scratch. It was difficult to find a job, and volunteers from the NGO "We Are Together UA" came to the rescue. I did not expect such support and understanding from strangers.

"We are here, in the West of Ukraine. We have seen too much. But we do not need to be pitied. We want acceptance and understanding that we are one country and the war is one for all of us. I was impressed by the hospitality and sincerity of the locals, and the interesting flavor of the traditions. The volunteers I met on the way strengthen my belief that Ukrainians are invincible when united."

Now Serhiy is learning a new profession and making plans for the future, as he is sure that despite the horrors and pain of war, life goes on. We just need to move forward.

Larysa, 38 years old, Kharkiv

The war cut her life in half. Before it was colorful and interesting, after it was black and white. For many years she worked for an international holding company, and after the full-scale invasion she lost her job and her hometown.

She spent about a month in the basement of a Kharkiv high-rise building, falling asleep in the bathroom with her child filled with anxiety about whether morning would come. It was hard to leave my parents, who categorically refused to leave the city. Listening to the terrifying sounds of aircraft in the sky and explosions, I decided to evacuate to the Lviv region. It was important to keep the child's psyche stable and stop being afraid herself.

She was persuaded to come to the new place of residence by caring colleagues who helped her adapt and start active in the city. The volunteer movement helped to meet a lot of interesting people and find real close friends.

Volunteers of the NGO "We Are Together SA" came into life by chance on the way to helping others. They provided the necessary psychological support and helped with employment. It was very important to start moving in time to change the whole life. To finally remove the pause. To start living again. To discover new character traits in new working conditions. To believe in my own strength. To see the same vector of life.

"I am infinitely grateful to the volunteers of We Are Together SA for their big hearts, authenticity, dedication, courage, and insane empathy for everyone who is in trouble today. All my life I have dreamed of meeting people who I would like to look up to and learn something new every day. I was convinced that the most important thing is people. And when you have your own people around, you can do incredible things. We all continue to fight. Each on his own front, in his own place. Desperately and sincerely, as only we, Ukrainians, know how."

Yulia, 39, Bakhmut, mother of three sons

Plans for the future, their own and their children's, turned to dust in an instant as the war prepared them for the unenviable role of displaced persons. In early March, she left for Poland with her children for a while. But in August, they returned to Ukraine to persuade their mother to leave the dangerous Bakhmut. It was hard to leave the house, older people want to have stability and peace of mind.

In Lviv region, they rent a house for a large family. Thanks to the volunteers of the NGO "We Are Together UA", she was able to find a job.

Yulia is always working. Constant movement is, among other things, an opportunity to escape from analyzing what happened, what she and her family lost. This is all to make the scars on her soul less noticeable. The main thing today is that the whole family is together. Together they can cope with all the challenges.

Karolina, Kharkiv, Ukraine

She helped evacuate her grandson to Sweden but returned to Lviv. She is convinced that if we support each other, no one can overcome us.

She believes that evacuation is not the end of life, but the beginning of a new episode.

Oleksandra, 67, and Vitalii, 67, Zaporizhzhia

A family from Zaporizhzhia who came to Lviv after the occupation of their hometown.

Despite the challenges of the war, at a fairly advanced age, they find the strength to start a new life in a new place, support others, and raise their grandchildren.

They dream of returning to their hometown in the near future and living their normal lives.

Lubov