Hello. thank you for agreeing to talk to us. Can you introduce yourself (what's your name, how old are you, where do you live now, where are you from)?

Daria Horaichuk: Hey, my name is Dasha and I come from the urban-type settlement of Manevychi in Volyn. I have been studying computer science in the Polish town of Zamość for over two years, where I have lived all this time.

How did it happen that you became a volunteer and a translator?

DH: I made the decision as soon as I had the opportunity to do this. Without hesitation and unnecessary thoughts.

Was the aid point for refugees from Ukraine at 62 Zamojskiego Street in Zamość the first place where you worked since the beginning of war?

DH: No, my first day of volunteering was at school number 4, everything was not clear, but only for the first 10 minutes. Because after that I didn’t have to wait for requests for help, they were constant.:)

Do you remember what you translated for the first time at the aid point in Zamość and what your first task was?

DH: Hah, of course I remember! And I remember even more the surprised face of a Ukrainian woman when she heard her compatriot. She was looking for a place to make tea, but as we already know, Polish 'herbata' has nothing in common with Ukrainian 'chai'. It was the first thank you of a person whose needs were satisfied for me. I had this sensation that this woman (whose name I do not remember, unfortunately ) felt at home for a moment.

When and for how many hours did you come to the aid point?

DH: Ohh, every time was different. The first week I did not look at the clock at all, everything got mixed up into one big shift. Then I began to understand that I need to rest to be able to help productively and I came every day for 4 or 8 hours in the evening.

Can you say something more about the people who came to the aid point in Zamość? What kind of people were they?

DH: They were all as different and interesting as possible. The most surprising thing was the calmness of people from Kharkiv and Sumy (the number of these people in the beginning was the largest due to their need to flee NOW). The most different views of the world, different customs and even language, and yet they all had something in common, something unifying, apart from the tragedy.

Has there been any situation in your volunteer work that was particularly difficult for you?

DH: Among those that I will remember for a long time
A young girl, 20 years old with a three-year-old son. She herself was very naive and scared, and, unfortunately, the boy began to have symptoms of measles. The disease itself is common for children,just like chickenpox and so on. I went with her to the nurse and explained everything. Everything seemed to be fine, but after literally 20 minutes the same girl came to me, all in tears and hysterical. As soon as I started finding out what could have happened, it turned out that one of the volunteers decided to 'joke' that her son did not have long to live...
And yet everything ended well, not without the help of sedatives though. And to be honest I learned who was such a joker.

When you talked to people did they tell you their story, where were they going from, where were they going to get to?

DH: As for stories, I have heard even too many of them. But as soon as people started crying, I tried to change the subject.
The most memorable one is undoubtedly the story of two brothers from Donetsk (69 and 73 years old), the elder had to spend 10 days alone in a bunker in a part of the city, which was then actively shelled. As soon as the shelling subsided, someone brought him 10 kilograms of chicken meat (because no one could have thought that there was just one person) and later his younger brother came to him in order to leave together. So they cooked the meat and distributed the chicken broth elsewhere. As this elderly man said, people were crying at the mere sight of meat.

Are you in contact with any of the people you have helped?

DH: Of course, we are still in touch with a woman from Borodyanka, we helped her with her 4-year-old daughter Sofia to go to Italy where they are all happy and, most importantly, safe.

Is there any person that came to the aid point that you particularly remembered?

DH: There were so many of them that one page will not be enough to describe everyone... :) I will say for sure that I have never seen such a variety of lifestyles before.

Where were you when you found out that the war in Ukraine started?

DH: In my bed, at home, in Ukraine. It was a normal morning and I had to get my sister ready for kindergarten. As usual I opened social networks, where I read bad news about the war that had begun three hours before. Five minutes later, my mother came to me and said that I had 10 minutes before the departure of the bus and I had this time to pack my stuff.

Where is your family right now and what are they doing?

DH: My mum, my brother and sister are fine, they are in Italy now. My aunt and grandmother stayed in Volyn. Only my uncle is in Melitopol now and cannot manage to leave. But I believe that he will survive.

What did your family say when they heard that you would help at the helping point and that you would be a translator?

DH: No, the owner of the apartment, which I rent, helped me find the aid point. My relatives only said that it was the best choice.

What should people be aware of when they want to become a volunteer in such place?

DH: Responsibility, responsibility and once again responsibility! You have to remember that when you are giving some information, sending people to other countries and even making coffee, you are responsible for all of it to the person! Also, please do not forget where they all come from and if you have a good life, it does not mean that you need to sit on your couch and be an armchair critic.

Thank you very much for the interview.