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“Your Little Help Can Turn Into a Big Thing”
Dinara works at a diplomatic mission. She is an English language teacher by education, who graduated from a military university, served 12.5 year at the army, and retired with the rank of reserve major. Outside work, Dinara helps at tolokas and fairs telling people about Angels of Freedom project and its important mission. We talked to Dinara to find out how people react to requests for support and whether it is difficult be the project’s volunteer.
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“There is no Such Thing as a Small Participation, any Help is Incredibly Important”
Olena Chyzhova was born and raised in Chernihiv, and graduated from the university there. She has not lived in Ukraine for 20 years, but immediately after the start of the war she began helping her fellow countrymen. It was the charitable initiative of Olena and her sister Olga, “Angels of Freedom,” that served as the start for the emergence of a foundation of the same name in Kazakhstan. Olena spoke in an interview about how the action was born and how assistance to Ukrainian schools united dozens of countries.
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“People Help to Believe in Peaceful Future”
One of the largest and the very first Angels of Freedom volunteer group in Kazakhstan operates in Astana. Since March this year, Sholpan, a museum researcher, is its coordinator. We talked with Sholpan and found out what it takes to be a volunteer curator, and what gives strength not to lose hope in the darkest times.
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“It’s Easier to Endure Grief When We are Together”
Aelita works in a government agency. According to her, she is “an ordinary clerk.” But it is very difficult to agree with such an assessment when you get to know her better. For almost a year now, Aelita helps the Angels of Freedom project, never missing a single fair or toloka. If you ask other volunteers about the people who inspire them, many will name her. We talked with Aelita about the brightest and saddest moments of her volunteer life, as well as what makes her stay involved in the project.
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“It Becomes Impossible to Stand on the Sidelines”
Assemgul is often seen at fairs and tolokas in Astana. Since last year she (a translator by education) has become one of the most active participants in the Kazakhstani project to help Ukrainian children. We talked to Assemgul about the kind of people the project brings together, the connection between rebuilding schools and gaining hope for peace, and for whom the “angels” become true guardian angels.
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“We Help Children Get an Education in a Safe Environment”
Assel is an employee of a foreign company in the field of production and sale of energy, a financier by education, and a volunteer. We talked to her and found out why we want to feel our involvement in the restoration of Ukraine, whether the “little man” can influence global processes, and how the Angels of Freedom was supported by the US Embassy in Kazakhstan.
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“People With Bad Thoughts or Intentions do not Come to Tolokas”
Zarina is a student-ecologist, works as a marketing specialist, and in her free time helps the Angels of Freedom in Almaty. We learned from Zarina what people talk about at tolokas, why angels are got and not bought, and how her family feels about her being a volunteer.
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“If We Stop Volunteering, It Will Mean That the War is Over”
Zulfiya is a project manager at UNDP (United Nations Development Program), FAO projects in Kazakhstan, a PR consultant and a former journalist. Zulfiya has been in the Angels of Freedom project nearly from the moment of its inception, that is, almost for a year. We talked about how we managed not to burn out being a “long-distance” volunteer and how the project changes its participants.
