Life after relocation: the story of a family from Druzhkivka

Project: Building Resilience of War-Affected Ukrainians

Before the war, Svitlana’s family lived a steady and predictable life. Five people shared a cozy apartment in Druzhkivka: Svitlana with her husband, their two sons, and a grandmother with a disability. “Life was ordinary,” Svitlana recalls. “The school was near our home, I worked at a heating company, we went on vacations. Everything was fine.”

The war broke into their lives suddenly, but they could not leave right away—Svitlana was responsible for her team at work and couldn’t abandon everything. “On the night of February 24, I called my colleagues who serve in the military, and they confirmed—the war had started. But I was responsible for my team, I couldn’t just leave,” Svitlana explains.

Only in April, when the situation became critical, did the family decide to evacuate. With two bags of clothes and documents, they set off into the unknown. “We thought we were going for two or three weeks and hoped to return soon,” Svitlana recalls that day.

Life in Kyiv has taken a new turn. Svitlana continued working remotely for her heating company, and later her husband joined as well, once there was no work left in their hometown. The older son enrolled at Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University, where he studies Japanese language and culture. “We really hope he will be able to go to Japan for studies through an exchange program,” Svitlana shares her dream.

Recently, she and her elder son visited Druzhkivka. “Mom, I can’t stay here,” he said. “Such decline, devastation, and fear.” Although Kyiv also has its share of air raid alerts, life continues here—schools are open, children attend classes, and there are opportunities for leisure.

“When I travel to my hometown on business trips, I’m struck by the absence of children on the streets,” Svitlana says. “And the ones who do go outside… they look sad, without that carefree spirit of childhood. Many tried to move away but couldn’t settle in other cities and returned. But there, not a single school is working. Children spend entire days inside their apartments with gadgets, not interacting with each other.”

“Yes, here we have to pay for housing, but it’s worth it,” the woman insists. In Kyiv, children can go to school, attend classes, participate in different activities—have a real childhood.

Svitlana speaks especially warmly about the children’s centers of the Arms of Mercy Charitable Foundation. “Here it feels more heartfelt than anywhere else,” she shares. “It’s not just about practicing skills, but real communication. Children learn to interact, to negotiate, to explore various activities. And all this happens in an atmosphere of care and understanding.”

The family’s dreams are simple—to travel around Ukraine, maybe even abroad, but most importantly, to have confidence in tomorrow. “We don’t want to live as if constantly at the starting line,” Svitlana admits.

We are sincerely grateful to our partners World Vision and Action Deutschland Hilft for their financial support, which helps create such vital spaces across Ukraine. Together we can give children what they need most right now—a sense of safety and the joy of childhood.

Learn more about our children’s centers and the project “Building Resilience of War-Affected Ukrainians” on our website.

Join us—together we can support even more families in need.