Episode Transcript
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 0:00
The femininity is powerful in all its forms exceptional women. Rare girls must be appreciated in every way for their perspectives, actions, thoughts and their unique ways of being. Such rare girls are inspiring. And this is what this podcast is all about. Hello, my name is Aziz and my guest today is Alina ma Shekhar. Alina is a social activist, and a member of the youth NGO foundation for regional initiatives in Ukraine. She is an experienced volunteer who organized her own volunteering projects and she is passionate about journalism so her and her team take creative, interesting videos and podcasts. Nowadays, Alena is learning social media management because creating and grow in a blog is an exciting goal for her. Her hobbies include traveling, dancing, singing, cooking, all kinds of delicious foods. She loves people, communicating with them, and going on social walks with interesting people in her lives. Alena, how are you today?
Alina Mashyka 1:35
Hi, I'm good.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 1:37
I'm happy to have you here. I feel honored, privileged and very curious about you. So I'll begin with this. People who know you very well. How would they describe your personality? What would they say about you?
Alina Mashyka 1:52
I think they will say that I'm so active person. So I often participate in any interfaces. At first, I think they will say about me like a positive girl who like adventures,
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:09
or you love that and tell me what motivates your inspires you to be so active and to participate in so many things.
Alina Mashyka 2:18
I think it started from school, because I was in school self government. Later, I became interested in volunteering and joined the NGO Free Foundation of originality initiations. I help in a member of the free for more than a year. And during this time, I managed to secure project management skills and organized we my own projects. And I really like it because it's so interesting.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 2:53
I love that. What interests you the most about developing project management skills? How is it helping you and other areas of life? Or what does it allow you to do that makes you feel really enthusiastic?
Alina Mashyka 3:09
I think the most interesting of eight it is to find out new information and to speak with new people. Because it's really interesting to talking about some really fantastic things like project. My first project was about oratory. BCA is like oratory courses for young people to learn to speak in public. And because I want to be a journalist is the first motivation to create this project because I find out new information about journalistic sphere.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 3:53
Thank you. And it's interesting that you're fascinated with journalism. How did you discover your interest in this topic? And why is it so exciting for you?
Alina Mashyka 4:05
Oh, in fact, I found out about journalism in my early 15 years all and it was in my own class at school, because we try to do one, one task from homework. And then I try to be like, people who say something about this, and I tried to be like a journalist. And that's why I like this, and maybe it will be interesting for me from this time.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 4:48
Thank you. And when you're not being so active, involved in so many volunteering, and journalism projects, what inspires you how Do you recharge your energy so that you feel ready for more?
Alina Mashyka 5:06
Actually, I also like dancing, singing, cycling, even reading books, or watch some detoxes. Maybe it's my favorite generous like ventures and detectives. And I also like cooking something delicious for my family and friends. It brings me incredible joy. However, I also like cooking.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 5:34
Thank you Alina. That's super interesting. And I want to focus on your podcasts since we're both podcasters. What for you makes a podcast interesting to your audience? How do you think about the content you'll create? Or the ideas? Or what do you do to make it a good journalistic product, as well as something that is not boring for the listeners?
Alina Mashyka 6:03
I think that the first important thing of a good journalist is to be emotional, and to share some facts about your sound situations about you. Like really story, but not lie. And stay true to your audience. Be like a good girl who say all aspects of her really light.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 6:32
I really do like that. You said that you want to study social media management because you want to develop and grow your blog. What inspired you to have this idea? And what do you think is necessary to do a good blog that maybe a lot of people don't think about? Or don't use in their Instagram or Tiktok, or blog or social media?
Alina Mashyka 7:00
Actually, I was inspired from one girl who has, so a fantastic blog with really interesting themes and her real life. She call her name is like the same of my name. She is Elina and she only 17 years old. Yes, but her blog is really so interesting. And I think she inspired me to create mine. And maybe I will be like her in a future. Yes. And what good about my blog? I think that now the most coolest thing that I have, it's think about fantastic themes is saying about my hobbies, and about my real life. And I say in my past about holidays, about traveling about cooking, and I think my audience like it because it's my real life and it's my real personality.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 8:33
Oh, I love that. Tell me about cooking. Because what do you find interesting about it? Is it that maybe it's a break from other parts of life so you don't need to think about problems and you can just cook is it you tasting the delicious meals and feeling proud that you can create something tasty or is it when you share with other people? You're the reason they're happy? And you're like wow, I can do something that makes other people so happy in life.
Alina Mashyka 9:09
I believe that cooking and some tasty this is make people really happy and I cook because I want to do some delicious and tasty dishes for my family and dear friends who I love and it's it brings me so smiling as so. Good mood I think.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 9:43
I love that so Are you a girl who is extrovert popular has like 100 friends or are you more introvert you have two or three friends and you don't open up to new people fast. Tell me about your purse. finality.
Alina Mashyka 10:00
It's interesting questions, but I think I am an ambivert is something Neidell of introvert and extrovert because sometimes I like to take with people, I like to go to the party or to the sound thing. Cool. Or I then let's finish features and concerts. But sometimes I like to be alone at my home with only book. And I like reading about some interesting stories about detectives. And it's all I want in this days. But it's really depends on my mood, and maybe about the period of year because in autumn I like to stay at home, but it's summer, I like to go sailing or to the party with friends.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 11:11
Thank you and tell me about dance? What emotions that dance give you and how does it add positive emotions to your life?
Alina Mashyka 11:22
Oh, I think dancing is one of the most unexpected choice in my life, because I have never done before this year. But only now I really want to try it. And I went to the one studio was one so cool. Teacher. Yeah, and it's slide modern dances, I think but it is one style called high heels. It's when you dancing with with high heels. Yes. Is the name of dancing. And it's really true. I like it because it gives me so many energy and many positive. And I think after dancing, I feel really relaxing as so happy.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 12:30
I like that. And since you're someone who's connected to other people, volunteers in Ukraine to the culture, etc. The foreigners are curious to know, what is the culture of Ukraine? What is the culture of young Ukrainian? How are young Ukrainians different to people from other countries? What would you say?
Alina Mashyka 12:55
At first, like Ukrainian, I want to say that I think that Ukrainians are the best people or the world. Yeah, maybe you think that I'm so confident about this, that I really think that it's true, because we are so turned, we are so positive. And we are so we hope that all will be okay with us and our country. That's why I think so that we are so strong. And we were so loud, our country and people who are here. We are so generous and polite and tolerant, even with another people.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 13:55
Thank you. And since you're mentioning your love for your country, how was February 24 for you the day of the invasion. How did you hear about it? Did you hear explosions that people tell you? How did you feel? Tell me the story of that day?
Alina Mashyka 14:15
It's so difficult day for me. I heard about the bars through a friend who called me this morning and asked if that I am okay. I answered Yes. And then she really got relief, because she know about the situation and I know but then I asked her what happened because I didn't know that the full skill intervention has already began. That's how I found it. In fact, I was very shocked. That day I was constantly nervous and sell it sited. And from each news, it only got worse. However, I agreed that I was still able to get a grip on myself and want to volunteer. At first it was net waving. In one building, Dan later, I moderated a volunteer chat with requests and how it was information. And then after two months is I organized a project with a psychologist, where we talked about how to calm down. And it was so useful for our years and our people who was in town, and who arrived to our town.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 15:56
I agree. And thank you for organizing that volunteer chat and for letting people connect so that they're not alone. And that time, and let me ask you about volunteering? Do you believe volunteering brings together people who are special and unique and cool, and volunteers together to have some projects? Or do people and youth change and become more active because of volunteering? So is it an excuse to come together all the great people, or any person who begins volunteering will change their personality,
Alina Mashyka 16:39
I really believe that a Volunteering makes a person or all people, le Toby better. And it's true, because when you help someone, you feel so happy, and you're so kind, and they like it because it makes you feel like you help to sell one. And it's so good thing that you're doing this bad. If you ask about acting, people, I think that even if people don't volunteer, she or he can be active. But when you weren't hearing, you know, lots of other people who will endure and it's like a huge team, which you know, and you feel this community, like when you can ask something to one volunteer and they know that you're also willing to and you're like connecting with them, and it's so good feeling. And I think if every person will volunteer, every person will be a little bit better than now.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 18:13
I love that. And tell me about your life now, six months after the invasion, and the whole situation. What do you do in the morning? What do you do in the afternoon? How is life in the city? How is the mood of the people tell me everything?
Alina Mashyka 18:31
Maybe you will surprise but my life is not so bad, like live in another towns in my country? Because I live in which hurt. It's the worst test city in Ukraine and here isn't so such a big such a worse situation. Yes, but I go to school, I speak with my friends. I organize some project I volunteer and I pray about not other people who haven't this chance to live like a normal life because of this difficult and so cruel war.
Abdulaziz M Alhamdan 19:30
I agree and really thank you Alina. This was my privilege, my honor. A truly wonderful conversation and all I can say is lava okra eenie.
Alina Mashyka 19:42
harangue. Slava. Thank you for today's meeting. I was happy to talk with you
