Zhenya Dandre

USA

I feel like a Ukrainian, my roots are Ukrainian,” — Dobrobat volunteer, American Zhenya Dandre

After talking to our volunteer Zhenya, you involuntarily begin to look at life differently. For at least two reasons. The first is that Zhenya came from the United States to help Ukrainians. The second is that in five months he learned Ukrainian, although he grew up in an English-speaking family. Impressive? Now let’s talk about everything in turn.

Zhenya Dandre was born into an American family. But as a child, he moved to Kyiv with his parents. Since then, the guy’s American roots have been closely intertwined with his true Ukrainian. The family lived in Kyiv, his parents worked, and Zhenya studied at an international school for foreigners. When the guy turned 19, he returned to Boston. Zhenya studied psychology and worked as a photographer and translator.

While the boy lived in Kyiv, he communicated mainly in Russian, because the education at the international school was also in Russian. But since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Zhenya began to master the language of his roots. In truth, he already speaks Ukrainian perfectly, although 5 months is a relatively short period for learning the language. Perhaps it is all Zhenya’s determination and boundless love for Ukraine.

A few weeks before the full-scale war, it was difficult, Zhenya recalls. He was in Boston at the time, and his mother was in Kyiv.

“I was sitting at home watching TV, and my mother was here in Ukraine. It was about 10 p.m. in America and I wasn’t sleeping. I saw how the bombings started everywhere. Then I called my mother, she didn’t know what had started. I wasn’t just afraid for my mother, I was afraid for the whole country,” says Zhenya.

Later, Zhenya started looking for a place to volunteer. That’s how he came across Dobrobat and the facility in Blystavytsia, where he was clearing away the rubble of a destroyed house. He was sincerely glad that he could help, and his help was really important.

“Actually, I came to support all of you. Every day you see this destruction, but no one will be able to get used to it. This is not just garbage, this is someone’s home. People lived and still live there. It’s very sad for me. It’s very important to do something physically when you see such chaos, such unbearable circumstances here in Ukraine. This is really a chance to help others and do something together.”

Our volunteers are inspiring! When you talk to them, when you see how inspired and united they are in contributing to the recovery, you understand that our people cannot be broken.