Construction Begins on the Kidsave Miracles Center
As Kidsave continues to meet humanitarian needs, we also look to the future of Ukraine. Kidsave was recently gifted a plot of land in the Carpathian Mountains, and construction is now underway on the Kidsave Miracles Center.
By Noopur Desai and Chloe Fuller
A Look Back
Kidsave began working in Ukraine in 2016, applying its unique Family Visit Model to find families for children living in orphanages and institutions and developing a corporate mentoring program to support older youth exiting care. These programs were highly successful, and we were in the process of expanding to additional regions when the unthinkable happened.
On February 24, 2022, the invasion of Ukraine began, and the lives of millions changed forever. Upholding our values and dedication to the well-being of children, we knew we could not leave them to fend for themselves. Kidsave’s team in Ukraine began working tirelessly to rescue children and families, evacuate them to safety, and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. Over the last eleven months, what started with a few Kidsave staff members has since grown into a team of over 200 volunteers—a team that has rescued over 30,000 people and delivered over 900 tons of humanitarian aid.
Looking to the Future
As we continue to meet these humanitarian needs, we also look to the future of Ukraine. Kidsave was recently gifted a plot of land and construction is now underway on the Kidsave Miracles Center. The idea for the center began with the goal of providing a safe place where orphaned kids can meet potential adoptive families, and older youth can receive mentoring and career training.
Pavlo and Olena Shulha, leaders of Kidsave’s team in Ukraine, also want the center to be a safe place for Ukrainian families to seek refuge during this time of war and where children and families can receive psycho-emotional support and war trauma therapy. Kidsave’s team has already begun working with its partner organization, Sunrise of Dreams, to provide psycho-emotional support to internally displaced mothers in Mykolaiv. While the mothers receive support and counseling, their children are cared for and entertained with art supplies, and the families are given food assistance and kits to help sustain them. Once the Kidsave Miracles Center is operational, we will be able to expand these efforts.
The Goals
Currently, construction workers are working every day to build this center. The center will be comprised of multiple buildings to provide training rooms, gathering spaces, and rooms for those in need of refuge. They are currently building rooms that can accommodate up to 15 people each and installing new windows in the facilities.
The goals of the center are ambitious, but Kidsave CEO Randi Thompson says, “It’s been our dream to create a place in Ukraine where orphaned children and potential families can meet and connect, and with the Kidsave Miracles Center, that dream is becoming a reality. It’s a big project, and we’ll be working on renovations for years to come, but we are dedicated to it and hope to open the center this summer.”
While there is still work to do, a lot of progress has already been made, and we are excited to see the final product. We remain committed to meeting the immediate humanitarian needs of the people of Ukraine. We look forward to the day when peace is achieved, and through the Kidsave Miracles Center, we can help rebuild and restore this brave nation.
