Participant of the regional contest "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the nomination "Youth Worker of the Year" Hanna Strebizh
In February 2022, the lives of millions of Ukrainians changed forever. Among them was me, Hanna Strebizh, a young resident of the Donetsk region. Like thousands of others, I was forced to leave my native home due to the danger to my life. This decision was extremely difficult for me: my heart remained there, on my native land, with the people and children who experienced the horrors of war every day. But even while being far from home, I did not abandon my dream: a dream of a strong, renewed Donetsk region, of its peaceful and happy future.
After some time, I managed to return to my native region. The situation remained tense, but I knew I had to act. Not to stand aside, but to support those who most needed warmth and faith—the children. I wanted to help them believe in themselves, develop their abilities, learn not to be afraid to dream and act. This is how my project "Lego – Donbas: together for reconstruction" was born.
I gathered a small but inspired team of children from the community, and together we began to work on the idea of rebuilding the Donetsk region using STEM technologies. Robotics became not just a learning tool, but a way of thinking, forming responsibility and social activism. We created models of bridges, dams, and infrastructure objects—and every detail in these constructions was filled with faith in the future.
In May 2023, we held one of the first club meetings at the HUB—on May 24, a brief but important meeting took place, during which the team created a new LEGO robot. This became an important stage in preparation for further events.
In the summer of 2023, our team proudly presented the project in Kyiv at the "East-Expo 2023" exhibition. The theme of the event was RoboSmartVictory, which focused on the reconstruction of the most affected regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The Narcor team from the Cherkasy community, which I had the honor of coordinating, presented the project "Lego Donbas: together for reconstruction" specifically in the direction of rebuilding destroyed infrastructure—bridges, dams, and critically important objects.
At the festival, our team also participated in "Lego-sumo," "Lego-football," and other activities, demonstrating not only technical skills but also teamwork, creativity, and perseverance. The event was live-streamed on YouTube, and our participants were awarded honorary certificates and valuable gifts. We are sincerely grateful to the event organizers and the parents who were able to accompany the children during the trip to Kyiv.
And on October 12, 2024, I participated in another "RoboSmartVictory" festival, this time as a coach of the NarCor team. It was an inspiring experience that once again confirmed: by investing in youth, we are building the future.
But the work did not end after the exhibitions. Due to the threatening security situation, we continued our activities in a remote format. Constant alarms, power outages, and an unstable connection did not stop our team. The children continued to work on their ideas, and each of them is a new step towards rebuilding not only the territory but also faith in the future.
My story is not about me; it is about the children who, despite the war, continue to create. I am happy that I can be with them, support, inspire, and lead. I believe that the Donetsk region will be reborn—free, strong, and educated. And if even a small part of this rebirth starts with a small team that dreams and builds with LEGO, that is already a great victory.
For me, being a youth worker is not a profession. It is a mission. A mission to love my region, believe in children, and create the future with them. And I thank everyone who believed in us, who supported us, who gave the children the opportunity to feel a part of the great, bright path to the restoration of Ukraine.