One of the devastating aspects of the war in Ukraine is the huge number of people – the UN estimate the figure at 12 million – who have fled their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
Around seven million people are still thought to be displaced inside Ukraine itself, many in the western region of Rivne and Sarny where Christian charity Mission Without Borders (MWB) is operating.
Here, MWB, in partnership with local churches, has been busy providing thousands of food parcels containing items like pasta, rice, cooking oil, vegetables and water, as well as hygiene parcels with shampoo, washing powder, soap and nappies. Accommodation has also been found for nearly 17,000 families, along with clothing and shoes.
In the darkness of this war, hope and light has been given through MWB Summer Camps for children, many of whom have had to endure months of war, many hiding in basements as missiles flew overhead. For these children, they had to leave behind their toys, their everyday lives – and often their fathers too!
So, in addition to the thousands of children participating in Mission Summer Camps across Eastern Europe, MWB were determined that children in Ukraine would enjoy a safe place to play and have fun, fellowship and good food. Three seven-day camps were held in the western region, each hosting 120 refugee children. We also held a special camp for children of emergency workers that brought some respite and joy to the families.
Country Director of MWB Ukraine Mykola Bogdanets says: ‘The enemy tries to ruin and steal childhood from our Ukrainian children. However, this motivates our workers and volunteers to pour out even more love, care, and joy on these children. This year has been the hardest for Ukraine in my lifetime. Thank God that, despite all of our difficulties, we can have such a wonderful time at our Summer Camps’.
Alina, a 12-year-old girl from Rivne, said: ‘The reality of war came to our lives. I am old enough to realise the horrors of war. It became the daily concern for me. Here in camp I started feeling relief and joy. I became happier and started believing, that God is able to help Ukraine. These days are [the] first colour days after black and white days of war.’
MWB volunteers and staff were encouraged by a visit from the Mayor of Rivne, Oleksandr Tretiak, who took time to come and visit our Summer Camp for refugee children, and shared these words: ‘Positive emotions that volunteers encourage during the week are reflected in the eyes of these children. You have helped to return smiles to children who left their homes because of the war. We love you’.
As children and young people here in the UK and across Europe return for the autumn term, please do pray that schools in Ukraine may be able to meet safely for classes. The fact that so many children were able to experience respite at such a crucial time will hopefully help them transition back into a place of learning. The help that MWB provides ensures access to a safe learning environment and the materials a child needs to attend school and achieve success in their study. This year it is even more significant in the shadow of so much trauma and upheaval.
Children in other parts of Eastern Europe where MWB operates have also been keen to help. One eleven-year-old boy called Gjon from Albania said: ‘Maybe we can’t do much for the Ukrainian people whose houses have been destroyed. Maybe we can do nothing for the people who are hurt, who were killed, who are broken, but what we can do is pray, because we believe in prayer, in the power of prayer.’
Some of the children in Albania dedicated their Camp project to Ukraine with the team’s name in the Ukrainian flag colours ‘HARMONIA’ (which stands for Harmony).
