Until 2022, Olia’s family lived in the town of Ukrainsk in Donetsk region. It was an ordinary, quiet life: her father Oleksandr worked as a welder, her mother Yuliia as a shop assistant, their son Yevhen was in first grade, and the elder daughter Olia was in 9th grade and dreamed of becoming a web designer.

In April 2022, when fighting intensified in the region, the family made a difficult but the only right decision – to evacuate. They went to the village of Popivka in Sumy region, where relatives had lived before.

It was hard – morally, financially and physically. But thanks to the support of the local community, they were able to recover a little. In December 2024, the Rokada team helped the family join the pilot project “Housing Space”. The Dotsenkos moved into a modular house.

In the new place, Yuliia began working as a cook and Oleksandr as a welder at a private company; grandmother Nelli is retired; Yevhen will start at a new school this September; and Olia continues to study remotely and is finishing 11th grade. She dreams of becoming a web designer.

Although their hearts still ache for the home they left behind, the family believes in victory and dreams of returning home one day.

“In the foreground, a girl is drawing a flower – an iris. For me personally, it symbolises freedom and creativity. In the upper left corner of the drawing is the trident. It is a sign that unites all Ukrainians, wherever they are. The dove is a symbol of peace. I also drew the ‘Donetsk Region’ road sign on the side – it points to our home, because that is where my family comes from. It is a sign of respect for my land, which, despite the trials of war, is always Ukraine and part of my heart. It is patriotism and pride in my native land. The Independence Monument is also symbolic. The statue of a woman holds a viburnum branch and looks up at the sky with her head held high. For me, she represents faith in a bright future and the struggle for freedom and dignity. The city I drew is a bright Ukrainian city – alive, sunny, full of colour. Above the city are a clear blue sky and a yellow sun, as a symbol of peace and hope. The viburnum symbolises the Ukrainian soul, memory, the strength of the people and beauty. Under my drawing are lines from Volodymyr Sosiura’s poem “Love Ukraine”, which calls on us to love Ukraine as we love the sun, the wind, the grass and the waters. These words are special to me: the author wrote them, when Ukraine was liberated from the Nazi invaders. They deepen the emotion of the drawing – reminding us that love for the Motherland lives in simple things: in the sun, in nature, in our language, in everyday life. This is Ukraine – as my heart sees and loves it: peaceful, beautiful, happy. My most important dream is for the war to end!” Olha says about her drawing.