She had always considered herself Ukrainian, but she could not say it out loud. Olha grew up in the occupied part of Donbas, where mentioning her identity could put her at risk.  

She prepared for admission to a Ukrainian university in secret. Using a VPN, she listened to music from home, and learned the language and history through videos on a video-hosting platform over the years. Olha was even afraid of her own search queries – what if someone checked her phone and saw “History of Ukraine. Lesson One”?

In 2024, she made it to Kyiv. But the feeling of being at home did not come immediately: she had to find common ground with peers who did not know what occupation was like.

Today, Olha is studying law. Ukraine has become her true home. Now she tells the world about children living under occupation and plans to establish an organisation to help those who, like her, have dared to make a choice.