*This article was created by ENGin volunteer Barbara Warner for The N2 Company and is reproduced below by ENGin.
In January of this year I began volunteering for ENGin, a nonprofit organization that connects English-speaking volunteers with Ukrainians for online speaking practice and cross-cultural exchange. I was matched up with a now 30-year-old woman named Tania, who like many of her fellow Ukrainians, is looking to improve her command of the English language in order to obtain a better-paying job once the war is over. She works long hours on a sporadic schedule as a train dispatcher, a very stressful job that she's held for nearly 11 years.
Presently she lives in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and one that's less than 20 miles from the Russian border. From the time the air raid siren sounds, one has about 60 seconds to seek shelter from a Russian missile. She told me that she and her family survived the 2014 Crimean crisis so, unfortunately, this experience is nothing new. Due to constant bombing attacks on her city, it's become quite difficult to schedule weekly video calls. Her internet connection is hit or miss due to attacks on her service provider and now electricity is being rationed in order to try and meet the demand. As a result of her living in a country at war, it's not unusual to go days or weeks without hearing a word from her.
She's told me she has a lot of anxiety given everything happening around her. When necessary, she'll escape her apartment to a corridor in her building, away from windows and the possibility of shattered glass, until she feels it's safe to return. She lives alone in a tiny apartment with few belongings, as she never knows when she might have to flee. She doesn't even have an oven and relies on burners for cooking. Thankfully, there are places nearby where she can grab a meal.
Tania has no friends or family who live nearby. Most of her friends have moved out of the country to find safety. Her parents are 3 hours to her south while her sister lives 6 hours west. She very infrequently gets to see her immediate family, but they're in constant touch with one another.
In March she celebrated her 30th birthday alone. I mailed her a package containing a couple of small birthday gifts and a card. I had her open them during one of our calls so I could share the moment with her and she was overcome with emotion. It was such a special moment for both of us. I was so grateful to be able to bring her a few minutes of joy during such a scary and uncertain time in her life.
Tania just gave notice at her job and plans to move to Kyiv to temporarily live with her sister and brother-in-law until she can secure another job and a place to live. She's scared as right now her future is so uncertain, but this was a necessary step for her safety. Our sessions are really more like friendly conversations, sharing stories from our lives. I was impressed with Tania's grasp of the English language when we first met, but she desperately wants to become more proficient. English is such a tough language to master.
On a personal level, I get so much out of these interactions which are held over WhatsApp. There is the personal connection with someone who is trying to see a future with a better life, and the knowledge that I'm helping someone. I get back so much from the time we spend together and we have become quite close. I consider her my family now. We both hope that one day we'll get to meet in person. That would be a dream come true! But for the time being, I pray that she remains safe.
"I was so grateful to be able to bring her a few minutes of joy during such a scary and uncertain time in her life."
I can't begin to express what an impact this volunteering experience has had on me. It's such a beautiful way to give back to someone in need. For anyone interested in finding out more about this wonderful program, please visit the ENGin website. They're in constant need of volunteers as well as funding.
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