“Since April 2022, the water supply network in our city has been bombed and Mykolaiv has been living without water…“

I have never known what it was like to live without water for so long. At first, there were very few distribution points. Then we stood with whole families for long hours in the scorching sun. Because there is no life without water.

For as long as I have lived here, there has been a natural spring behind my house, which was used only by stray animals. After the war started, people started coming, coming from everywhere to get this valuable water.

Once, when I was picking up my eggplants, one of them tilted over and water spilled onto the ground. A man was standing nearby and he instantly picked it up, then poured me some from his container. I only had time to thank him and people hurried to take a seat near the spring. I was amazed by this. We used to think that strangers could rarely help. And here, just like that, and so easily, as if it was always the case.

Every morning, when we gathered for this water, everyone greeted each other, wished each other a good day, which had never happened before.

We also had such fun conversations: we started sharing our experience of how many times we could use the water. The first time was to wash ourselves. The second time, wash your hair, then the floor, and only the last time to flush the toilet. And some very frugal woman could advise you to boil eggs or potatoes between these stages. It sounds ridiculous now. But back then we listened very carefully and seriously.

Now we don’t stand in lines like we did back then, although we also go to get water every day. But I still say hello to those people, even though I don’t even know their names or where they live.

Olena, Mykolaiv