You Will Never Walk Alone: An Australian ENGin Volunteer's Message to Ukraine Through Music
- Kylie Webb
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
At ENGin, we believe that connection is one of the most powerful things one person can offer another. Our volunteers come from all walks of life — and many of them bring far more than their English skills to the table. Kylie Webb, an Australian ENGin volunteer, brought something we didn't expect: a playlist. Below, she shares her personal message to Ukraine — and the Australian songs that carry it.
From Australia to Ukraine, across oceans and time zones, we want you to know this: we care about you. We stand with you. And you will never walk alone.
Music has always carried nations through their darkest hours. It binds strangers together in shelters and kitchens. It reminds us of who we are when everything around us feels unstable. It gives courage to stand, to rebuild, to hope.
As an Australian, I have seen how song unites us in bushfires, floods, and national grief. In those moments, we turn to our artists — not because they erase hardship, but because they remind us of resilience, mateship, and the quiet power of the human spirit.
I want to share some Australian songs that carry that spirit — music for strength, healing, and solidarity.
John Farnham – "You're the Voice"
An anthem of collective courage.
We have the chance to turn the pages over.
It reminds us that ordinary people — united — have a voice strong enough to shape history. In moments of oppression or uncertainty, this song lifts the heart and reinforces a truth Ukrainians know deeply: your voice matters.
🎵 Official music video: John Farnham – You’re the Voice (Official)
Cold Chisel – "When the War Is Over"
This song speaks directly to longing — the longing to return home, to loved ones, to peace.
When the war is over, got to get away…
It captures the ache of separation but also the certainty that war does not define the future. It honors sacrifice while holding onto the vision of reunion and rebuilding. For those far from home, and for those defending it, this song carries profound meaning.
🎵 Official remastered version: Cold Chisel – When The War Is Over (2011 Remastered)
Guy Sebastian – "Battle Scars"
"Battle Scars" acknowledges wounds — both visible and invisible — and honors survival.
War leaves scars. But scars are also evidence of healing. They are proof that the human body and spirit fight to recover. This song recognizes trauma while holding space for resilience — something so important for mental well-being during prolonged hardship.
🎵 Official video: Guy Sebastian – Battle Scars ft. Lupe Fiasco (Official)
Delta Goodrem – "Heavy"
"Heavy" speaks to emotional weight — the burden that crisis places on the heart.
It reminds us that carrying something heavy does not mean we are weak. It means we are human. And when we acknowledge that weight together, it becomes lighter. Music allows us to release what we hold inside.
🎵 Official video: Delta Goodrem – Heavy (Official Video)
Sia – "Unstoppable"
A declaration of inner strength.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is moving forward despite it. "Unstoppable" reminds listeners of the power that still lives inside them — especially when the world feels overwhelming.
🎵 Official live/performance video: Sia – Unstoppable (Official Live Video)
Crowded House – "Don't Dream It's Over"
Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over.
Even when walls are built, even when conflict divides, there is always a path forward. This song speaks to endurance, hope, and the quiet refusal to give up.
🎵 Official music video: Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over (Official)
The Science and Soul of Music in Wartime
Research shows that music supports mental resilience by regulating stress hormones, reducing anxiety, strengthening social bonds, activating memory and identity, and supporting emotional processing.
When people sing together, their heartbeats synchronize. Breathing aligns. Community forms. In war, this matters deeply.
Across cultural divides, melody speaks a universal language. An Australian may not speak Ukrainian fluently, but we understand courage. We understand the need to defend home and protect family. Through music, we find each other.
United Through Song
Ukraine's strength has inspired the world. Your culture, your poetry, your music remind us what it means to stand for freedom.
From Australia, I offer these songs as a gesture of solidarity. May they bring moments of strength in difficult days. May they remind you that across oceans, people are thinking of you, advocating for you, and believing in your future.
Music tells us something war cannot erase:
Human dignity cannot be bombed. Hope cannot be silenced. And solidarity cannot be divided.
To the people of Ukraine — from Australia — we stand with you.
You will never walk alone.
Want to Make a Difference Like Kylie?
Kylie is one of hundreds of volunteers from around the world who give just one hour a week to support Ukrainian students through ENGin. No teaching experience is needed — only a willingness to show up and talk.
If her message resonated with you, the most direct way to act on it is simple: become an ENGin volunteer yourself.
Sign up and let your voice be the one that makes a difference.
ENGin is a nonprofit program connecting Ukrainian students with English-speaking volunteers for weekly online conversation practice.
