Students of the SUSU Institute of Open and Distance Education not only strive towards knowledge and professional growth, but are also actively engaged in volunteering, helping those in need of support or aid. Thanks to distance learning there are no boundaries for them in terms of participating in extracurricular and public projects, and so with their own effort they can make this world a better and brighter place. We are talking to one of such socially active and involved people, a 5th-year student of the Institute of Open and Distance Education, Roman Bosko, who is majoring in jurisprudence.
– Roman, why did you become a volunteer?
– I was moved by the situation in our country and I wish to help those in need. I believe that each one of us must contribute to the common cause and support our country during hardships.
– Who is a volunteer today, in your opinion?
– Volunteers are people who rebuild cities, evacuate the injured and homeless people, cook food, and risk their lives. Without all this work the situation in our country would have been much more critical.
– What was your role in volunteering missions?
– As a regular volunteer in the Humanitarian Volunteer Corps and the Young Guard, I handed out hot meals and cooked food for people in the cities of the Lugansk People's Republic, I worked at the humanitarian supplies warehouses and helped at temporary shelters. In the conditions of war and destruction in the Lugansk People's Republic, and the continuing explosions, I realized the value of life and the importance of helping people around us.
– How did your volunteering experience influence your personal development or world view?
– It has given a new meaning to the value of life, and I’ve realized that many problems that seem serious in our everyday life are really mere trifles compared to what people in the thick of the events are going through. I’m paying less attention to stress now and have a more sober-minded or so-to-say philosophical attitude towards death. I’ve realized that everything is happening the way it should and you just need to go through every stage. I’ve also come to understand that not all problems can be solved with money, and that many people have a different attitude towards life and are ready to help without consideration. It’s like a “boomerang” – all will return to you, and kindness usually has a resonance in reality. Do not wait for material reward, you should rather seek it in other aspects of life and learn to notice it.
– How do you manage to simultaneously study and be engaged in volunteering?
– Volunteering doesn’t interfere with my studies — distance learning helps me do it simultaneously. I have reconsidered many things about life, and now have a more philosophical attitude towards stress and death. And I see that people always open their hearts to kindness. While doing your work in all sincerity, you should not expect gratitude for your help.
– What would you advise to those willing to become volunteers and participate in humanitarian missions?
– I believe that humanitarian aid has a huge meaning in modern world as it gives support to soldiers and local residents during difficult times. It is important to be ready to help other people and hope for the best. That is why I urge everyone not to doubt yourselves, weigh the risks and act consciously. Volunteering is not just helping those in need, it is also a step towards the unity and salvation for our country.