How would you complete the phrase, “Childhood is…?“ The tenderest of times, full of love and care. The happiest page of life, filled with the loveliest of memories. It’s when all the colors are bright, and the fairy tale is within arm’s reach… Would you agree that the word “war” has no place in this description? The words “childhood” and “war” are difficult to reconcile when paired together in the same sentence. Wouldn’t it be amazing if no child in the world knew the meaning of the terrible word, war?
Start
Vision and mood
The war came while they were sleeping. It invaded their lives when they were getting ready to go to school in the morning, forcing them to hide in the basements instead of making their way to class. The war tried to steal their childhood, leaving them with visible and invisible scars on their bodies and spirits that need to be healed with love and care.
Step 1. Medicine Against the War
“When I saw a rather unusual request for help in organizing a holiday for children who had lived in the occupied territory for more than a month, I understood at once that this holiday had to happen, and the children should be helped!” the Goodacity volunteer Oksana says.
“Indeed, many other fronts require our assistance right now, but I wish you could see those eyes — the eyes of children who have known war… We cannot let war steal their childhood!”
The village of Petrushyn in the Chernihiv region was under Russian occupation for over a month.
“Everything happened so quickly; we were shocked, scared, and confused. And, like most people of the village, we had no time to evacuate,” says Natalya, a village resident.
“We were hiding in the basements from the shelling, and then, on February 26, Russian tanks entered the village.
We lived this, the most terrible month of our lives, under occupation. The village and its inhabitants suffered incredibly, and it was exceedingly difficult for the children.
Many still fear going outside to play their own yards because they have experienced such shock and stress. When our military entered the village at the end of March, we all cried joyfully at seeing yellow and blue flags flying high! With shattered homes, wounded people, and children who shudder with every loud sound, our village is still healing the scars of war. Our children no longer play mock battles, as the memories of the horrors of the actual war they have experienced are too fresh and terrible.”
“I am the mother of a ten-year-old daughter myself, and I understand how important it is for children not to be in a constant state of anxiety and stress these days but rather to be flooded with positive emotions. These emotions are like “medicine against the war” for kids!
Therefore, I talked to my fellow villagers, who supported me, and we decided it would be good to create a special holiday for the children. But unfortunately, we did not have money for this, as the occupation and the war took away all resources. I’m grateful to the good people from the Goodacity for their assistance organizing this holiday! Seeing how children’s faces light up, how they shine with smiles, how they happily and carelessly hop around with joy is priceless!”
Step 2. Childhood is now!
In the last days of August, a holiday was hosted for more than fifty children from the village by the village club in compliance with all safety requirements! It was a celebration of childhood, a holiday filled with smiling children and sparks of joy in their eyes. The youngsters sang and danced with the animators, had their faces painted, watched an incredible soap-bubble show, treated themselves to goodies, and wrote postcards with kind words to their friends and relatives and our soldiers.
Many adults of the village came to watch the sincere joy of the kids, and many did not hold back tears of tender emotion looking at their happy smiles, warm hugs, and happiness. Likewise, adults rejoiced at the children’s joy!
Although they had experienced some of the most challenging days in the entire nation’s history, nevertheless, both adults and children were able to take their minds off sad things and enjoy having a good time!
“The Chernihiv region is not calm; it is still being shelled, and we still spend many nights in the basements,” Ms. Natalya says. “Children study online for safety reasons, so they really appreciate the opportunity to get together to play and have fun. For them, the chance to forget about the war for even a little while and return to a carefree childhood is priceless. What is more valuable than seeing children’s smiles? And it becomes possible with the support of dedicated volunteers even in such a difficult time”.
Finish
Time to sum it up
Yellow and blue postcards saying, “Thank you for protecting us!” in moving and painstakingly performed kids’ handwritten text. More than fifty such postcards with wishes and words of gratitude from the children of Petrushyn went to our military. They protect our children’s future, and we all work together to give them sincere smiles and bits of happiness in the present time!
You can afford yourself the luxury of goodness!
Doing good is very simple!
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