I have a big friendly family — me, my mother and my two younger brothers. Before the war, my family and I loved to go to the forest. We played various games and went on picnics there. We also went to the lake or to the summer camp. There were various swings in the summer camp. We were allowed to ride on them in the evening.

It was a good, peaceful, fun time. And then suddenly everything changed. War broke out.

Walking in the woods was forbidden. Many friends went to other cities. There was even a time when there were no products in the store, parents were not paid at work. The shelling was terrible!

On one such night, when all the people were asleep, a loud explosion erupted. Then a shell flew at my neighbors. It destroyed half of the house. There were no windows or lights in my house.

Then my family and I had to leave my village for a while. I was very scared to stay home. My younger brothers got very scared. Although they were little, they understood what was happening.

We went far from the war, but I still wanted to go home. I missed my home school, my friends and my home. I was also very worried about my relatives who stayed there.

Dad left with us at first, but then he came home, because he needed to get a job.

I was very worried about him, because he had a sick heart.

My younger brother slept badly at night because he was very scared during the shelling. We returned home after a while. Dad had already fixed everything there.

But the peace did not last long. There was a shelling of the street after a while. My best friend lived there. I was very worried about her. She left the place with her parents after that attack and never came back. I miss her very much.

Rinat Akhmetov's Humanitarian Center  began helping my family after my father's death. Constant anxiety triggered health problems — father's sick heart could not withstand it any more and stopped. The Center is very helpful. It provides basic necessities for us. I would like to express my gratitude for that!