Spreading Joy in a Time of War
By Chloe Fuller and Nata Kravchuk
Missile strikes, drones, air raid alerts, power outages – this is the reality of life in Kyiv today. The situation in Ukraine has become increasingly unpredictable. The uncertainty and constant threat of danger are difficult for anyone to cope with but especially for children and young people.
Kidsave’s team in Ukraine could see that stress in the youth of our Pathways to Success program — a program that helps young people (ages 17-25) who have aged out of institutional care on their own — were feeling anxious and stressed by the ongoing situation. Kidsave Ukraine leader, Pavlo Shulha, made a decision: it was time for a field trip.
On February 5th, Pavlo sent a team of drivers to Kyiv to pick up the teens and drive them to the site of the Kidsave Miracles Center in western Ukraine. While there is still much construction and remodeling to be done at the Kidsave Miracles Center site, several rooms in the main building have been completed and offered a safe and peaceful place for the youth to stay. The center is hidden away in a rural, mountainous region, surrounded by beautiful pines and fir trees, all covered in snow this time of year. In this countryside, far away from the constant shelling and chaos of war, the teens were able to rest and recharge, both physically and mentally, for the first time in nearly a year.
And although there is still much work to be done at the Kidsave Miracles center site, the teens were blown away by the scenery.
Katya, age 25, said, “Everything is so great here. We have fresh air, very good company, I love it here!”
While at the center, the group met with Pavlo, his wife Olena, and some of the Angels of Hope volunteers. They toured the construction site, helped with hands-on projects, and shared their ideas for future events and activities that will someday take place there. As participants in Kidsave’s Pathways to Success program, these teens are one of the many groups who will benefit from the Kidsave Miracles Center, a site that, upon completion, will be a safe place where orphaned kids can meet potential adoptive families, older youth can receive mentoring and career training, and children and families can receive counseling and war trauma therapy.
The teens were also able to take part in fun activities and surprises Pavlo and Olena had planned for them like skiing in the mountains, ice skating, and snowball fights. The group even took a few day trips, one to Lviv, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in western Ukraine, and one to Mykolaiv to visit children in three of the orphanages there. Visiting the orphans in Mykolaiv was one of the most exciting parts of the trip for the teens as they themselves grew up in orphanages and institutions. Thanks to the Pathways to Success program, they are now working to lead successful, independent lives, but they still remember the pain and isolation of growing up without a family. They were eager to visit the children and bring them a bit of joy and light during this dark time.
Kidsave team leader and chaperone Olena said, “The youth and I bought gifts, clothes, hygiene supplies, and fruits to bring for the children. The group carefully chose their gifts for the children and prepared games and contests to play with them. They were very thoughtful to make sure that everything went well.”
It took the group two days to get to Mykolaiv because the road was long and rough, but everyone remained cheerful and excited to see the children. When they finally arrived, the children were ecstatic to see them. The teens spent the day playing games, singing songs, handing out the gifts they’d brought, and most importantly, sharing their love and laughter with the kids.
“The day was full of joy,” said Olena. “Even if it was for a short time, they all forgot about the war and the troubles and just felt joy.”
It was difficult for everyone to say goodbye, but we know the memories of that day will stay with our youth and the children they visited for years to come.
After ten days of traveling, volunteering, and having fun, the field trip has come to an end, and the teens have returned home to Kyiv.
When asked about the experience, Volodymyr, the president of the Corporate Mentoring Alumni Club said, “This has been the most comfortable and easy trip we’ve ever had. Everyone is happy! We are grateful for this opportunity.”
You can support our work in Ukraine. Visit www.kidsave.org/ukraine/ to learn more about the Kidsave Miracles Center and support our life-saving humanitarian efforts.
