The story of the Ukrainian student who didn't leave Ukraine: The country needs me now

I'm from Kharkiwi, I'm a student and I work at a marketing agency. That was my life until three weeks ago, but because of the war I lost everything I had. Kharkivi is a student city, with many bars, with social lives that young people go there to study. Thousands of students from other cities and countries study there. I feel empty that it's something to watch on TV and these are the streets and places you've known and broken and the situation gets worse. It has been a very difficult situation that the house has been hit a floor below and the exit has been through fire and smoke heading west of Ukraine”.

Despite many leaving the country, Olessia shows that she has decided to stay in Ukraine to help the country distribute information and displaced persons in Lviv, hoping to return to their homes peacefully.

I need to stay here and I can't imagine leaving Ukraine, the country needs me now, I have to stay and I have no other option. I'm working online, we're fighting to share information around the world, I'm helping physically with the displaced in Lviv. There are moments when I feel empty, scared and I believe in Ukraine and our army and I believe better times will come back. We want to go back to our homes, it's okay we'll fix it, but our wish is to go home and peace”. / A2 CNN