Vladislava Pavlenko 14, female from Chernihiv

Hi! I am Vlada Pavlenko. I was born in Chernihiv in the village of Novoselivka. I have a mom, Tanya, and an older sister, Dasha. My mom works at the post office, and my sister is studying to become a veterinarian. I also have grandparents whom I love very much and visit on weekends. My dad died when I was 5, and since then, there have been just the three of us in the family.

I’ve always had pets. I’ve had hamsters, cats, dogs, mice, parrots, and fish. Currently, I have a dog named Bruno and a cat named Sonic. Since we live in the village, I’ve had cows, chickens, rabbits, and even pigs a long time ago! I loved taking care of them.

Because of the war, I don’t have a home anymore; it was hit by a missile. When the fighting started in my village, we fled to the city and lived in a basement. There were 12 of us, including 4 children, a cat, and a dog. I was very scared and cried often. Soon after, we went to Ternopil, where we lived until we had to go back to clear the rubble of our house. When I saw it, I cried for a long time. Later, we were given a modular house from Poland. Now, since I attend school number 20 in the city and my mom has to work, our acquaintances let us stay in their apartment while they are abroad, and we only pay for utilities.

I study well; all the teachers praise me. I have many friends and a best friend named Oksana, who is also from Novoselivka. After school, I usually hang out with friends in our city, and if I’m in the village, I ride my bike and roller skate. I also play on my phone, love doing makeup, and have a table where I do my makeup and homework. I inherited a guitar from my sister, and I want to learn to play it. I also love drawing, but I love cooking even more. I enjoy listening to music. I dream that the war will end soon, that there will be no war anywhere, and that no one will die.