A difficult new beginning for Kyryl
On February 24, 2022, the world changed. For the people of Ukraine, nothing was the same as the day before. Russia attacked Ukraine. Since then, over 20 million people have fled. Hundreds of thousands have died or been injured. The war is seen as a turning point in Europe. That sounds like big politics. In reality, however, this turning point has very concrete consequences in the lives of people in Ukraine. Especially in the lives of children - they are children scarred by the war.
Natalie Korotkova told us about this. She fled from Dnipro to Frankivsk in western Ukraine with her two sons Timur and Kyryl in March 2022. "The children trembled at every siren. We could no longer sleep. Our lives were destroyed." Arriving in Frankivsk was difficult for the boys at first.
"We hardly ever went out and that put a lot of strain on us all. My children felt like they were in isolation. We no longer had a home."
But then Natalie hears about the FranKolo project, which is supported by ora Kinderhilfe. The aim of the project is to make it easier for girls and boys to adapt to their new living conditions. Kyryl and his brother have found new strength in playing table tennis among a wide range of activities.
Natalie says today:
"For my children and me, the project is a way out of a feeling of hopelessness. We come here every day. The boys can play with other children, they can talk about their experiences. They experience closeness and love here. For me, it's so important that they have found their laughter again."
The fate of the people in Ukraine is shocking. We continue to help and are on the ground. Our emergency aid and our transportation of donations in kind to Ukraine are continuing.
You too can support our emergency aid!
With your support, we can change children's lives for the better together!