In Ukraine, 100,000 teenage volunteers are stepping up to help people caught in a brutal war. The teens coordinate their activities, both in person and remotely, with help from UNICEF and the Ukrainian Volunteer Service Chatbot.
Sixteen-year-old Solomiya volunteers at a train station in Lviv, providing displaced people with up-to-date information on train routes, departure times and ticket prices.
"When I see wounded people being carried out at the railway station, I can't believe it's really happening. What I feel is not anger, but a desire to act," she says.
"I'm here from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. But I don't come every day, as I'm also studying. I'd like to come every day, but I should effectively divide my energies."
In her green volunteer vest, Solomiya moves quickly and confidently along the train platform, stopping to find a wheelchair for an elderly refugee, helping a mother purchase tickets for herself and her children, directing confused passengers to the right gate.
"Volunteering is one of the most valuable experiences I've ever had," says Solomiya. "I feel more mature and responsible, because when you help people, they don't ask how old you are, which grade you're in and what marks you have.
"The first thing I'd like to do when the war ends is to meet all my friends and have a great time, as if everything is okay and nothing has ever happened. At least for one day."
