Anna Bezruk:
I dream of telling the world the story of the war and my native Kharkiv
Age: 14 years old
From: Kharkiv (currently living in the Zhytomyr region)
Experience with the foundation: Over a year
Hobbies: Writing (poetry and books), drawing, origami, learning languages
Become part of the success
SupportMy journey to English
English has been my favorite subject since childhood, but due to the war, I lost almost half a year of studies. I looked forward to the opportunity to return to lessons and tried to learn the language on my own. The hardest part for me was always listening comprehension and speaking. Now I study with a teacher who is a native speaker, and it’s incredible! We talk a lot, and I feel my vocabulary enriching.
Results I’m proud of
During my studies, I finally began to understand audio exercises. My speech has become more confident and richer. Now I don’t just learn words; I feel I am approaching my dream — to be fluent in English to travel, find a good job, and develop as a person.
Life during the war: metal and metaphor
The war changed everything. I was in fourth grade when it all began, and now I’m finishing eighth. The hardest part was the loss of a normal childhood — I grew up very quickly. Now my mother and I are in a different region, while my father stayed in Kharkiv.
My main solace is creativity. I write poems and books. My poetry has already been published in the “Metal and Metaphor” almanac, and now I am sending manuscripts to publishing houses. My cats also help me, especially a little ginger one brought as a kitten straight from the combat zone. We have become each other’s comfort.
Dreams for the future
I wrote a book about a girl, the war, and my native Kharkiv. It is largely an autobiographical story about returning home. My big dream is to publish it in English. I want people all over the world to know what a child feels when their home and dreams are taken away.
Of course, above all, I wait for the war to end. I dream of us repairing our apartment and being able to live in Kharkiv all together again.
A word of gratitude
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support is what is very important and necessary for us right now. Thank you for helping us go toward our dreams even in such times.”
