Veronika Tereshchenko

I’m at Insight because, after the full-scale invasion began, I went to volunteer — I simply couldn’t stay on the sidelines. That’s how I gradually found myself in human rights work. I had always supported the queer community, but it was here that I realised I can support it not only in words, but genuinely make people’s lives easier and be there in difficult moments. The sense that my voice matters and that I really can change something is what keeps me moving forward.

I’m a 100% people-centred person. What I value most are the moments when, after a conversation, someone leaves feeling that they’ve been heard and that they’re not alone.

What energises me:

Communicating with people and a sense of community — that’s my main battery. My absolute element:

1. Live interaction: meeting people, teamwork, public events and brainstorms — anything you can create together with others.
2. Travel and work trips: business trips that remind me, every time, how different and unique people and their experiences are.
3. Support and presence: the chance to share difficult moments and let a person feel that they’re not alone.

Rapid-fire interview:

What do you do when you’re not saving human rights?
I look for little escapes from the routine: watching K-dramas, reading books, discovering new cities and meeting new people.

One sentence about yourself that isn’t a job title:
I love people more than silence.

Three words that describe you:
Loud. Empathetic. Tactile.

Who inspires you?
Frida Kahlo. For me she’s about the freedom to be a complex person rather than a perfect image.

Something queer you’d recommend watching?
The film “Sappho” — a very beautiful but incredibly sad story, interesting also because it was shot in Ukraine.