Interview with Volodymyr and Tetiana Avilova

What makes you most proud to be Ukrainian?
One of the things we take great pride in is Ukraine’s commitment to freedom, including religious freedom.

What gives you hope for Ukraine’s future?
Our Christian faith gives us hope. We believe that God has a plan for our country.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your work?
The most rewarding part of our work is witnessing the hope we bring to the villages around Kremenchuk. Through our efforts, people in some villages have begun working together to improve their communities.

The biggest challenge is changing mindsets. Many people have a passive outlook on life. We encourage them to adopt a more proactive attitude and to support one another in leading healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Can you share a brief story of how your work has impacted people’s lives?
We visit wounded soldiers in eight hospitals in Kremenchuk, and the medical staff deeply appreciate our presence. They tell us that our visits make a real difference.

When soldiers arrive at the hospital, they are still wearing their mud- and blood-stained military uniforms, often with no clean clothes to change into. We provide them with clothing and essential hygiene products like toothpaste and toothbrushes. These simple gestures have earned us the respect of medical workers and the gratitude of the soldiers, who see that people outside the hospital genuinely care about them.

What’s your favorite place in Ukraine, and why?
We have two favorites. We love Lviv for its incredible cafés—you can spend an entire day walking from one to another, enjoying the best coffee in Ukraine. We also love the Carpathian region for its breathtaking landscapes.

What would you like people outside Ukraine to know about your country?
We want them to know about Ukraine’s rich history, from the 1,000-year-old Kyiv principality to the heroic legacy of the Zaporizhzhia Cossacks.

And finally, what’s your favorite Ukrainian dish?
It’s hard to choose just one, so we’ll name four: salo (pork fat), meat jelly, stuffed cabbage rolls, and dumplings.