Light of Hope: how a camp in Zakarpattia restored faith in life to the families of heroes

When you lose someone dear to you, it feels as though the world is splitting in two. This is especially difficult for children, who may not fully understand the permanence of loss, and for mothers, who must remain strong for their children, even when they are barely holding on themselves.

For such families, the charity fund “Arms of Mercy” together with the pastoral care department of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church in Chernivtsi region organized a special camp in Zakarpattia. Six days in the picturesque village of Polyana became a time for 16 mothers and 24 children of Ukraine’s fallen heroes to simply breathe, feel support, and understand that they are not alone in their grief.

Each family was provided with a private room with all amenities, enjoyed delicious meals three times a day, and could relax in the hotel pool after difficult conversations. But most importantly, it was the opportunity to talk with those who understand your pain without the need for words.

The ‘Side by Side’ camp program from the Trauma Healing Institute was meticulously planned. The team held special classes every day — separately for mothers and separately for children. Mothers had the opportunity to visit the thermal waters. They also went with their children to DinoPark, where they could forget about their pain for a while and simply enjoy life.

Each day was filled with communication, creativity, and games. The children drew, sculpted, and took part in workshops, while the mothers shared their experiences and received professional support.

These six days were a gift for families who have gone through the most terrible loss. The camp participants themselves can best describe this:

Inna, a mother of two children, shares:

“I want to sincerely thank the camp organizers, sponsors, and mentors for all this warmth. I couldn’t believe that such kind and genuine people still exist in this world. Because over time, I somehow lost faith in people. Here I found support and hope.

I rested both my soul and my body, regained strength, and saw the joy in my children’s faces as they made new friends. Thank you for the conversations, for the opportunity to cry without fear of being judged.”

Dasha and David’s mother says touchingly:

“I want to thank everyone for their prayers, for their love, and for not forgetting about us and our heroes. I wish everyone peace in the country, peace in their hearts, and peace in their families.”

One of the participants, who came without her son, says:

“I thank God and you, the sponsors, all the churches that joined in this great cause. Here, we experienced a recipe for restoring the soul, body, and spirit. We met different and interesting people. We cried out our emotions, and I hope that we will be restored. We will come home and react differently to the situations that have happened to us.”

Anna Hamula says touchingly:

“I am very grateful to you. The most important thing is to feel that we are not alone, that our family, our children, that they matter to someone. Thank you to everyone for such an event.”

Every mother found something special for herself. Some particularly appreciated the trip to the thermal waters: “The most interesting thing was the trip to the thermal waters. What power there was! Pleasant warm water in the summer,” one of the participants shares.

Others noted the professional work of the team and their individual approach to each family: “Such a tolerant approach was taken toward everyone, because we are all different. We are all wounded people, in different ways and at different times. And we all recover in different ways. Therefore, there was a positive exchange of experiences here.”

Even Pilates classes were a special discovery: “Special thanks for Pilates. It was amazing! Honestly, when I was offered to come here, I hesitated for a long time. And now I am glad that I made this decision. I rested both mentally and physically.”

Thanks to those who make the impossible possible

This camp became a reality thanks to the generous hearts and compassion of many people and organizations.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the NGO ‘Trauma Healing Institute’ for their support program for the families of fallen defenders. They covered the costs of accommodation and meals for all camp participants.

We sincerely thank NEWSTAFF LLC for helping to pay for materials for master classes, and DREAM GROUP TOYS LLC for toys, arts and crafts supplies, and board games, which brought so much joy to the children. We are grateful to BRUSHME LLC for the paint-by-number kits — such special gifts for the participants.

We would like to thank the Bread of Life Charity Foundation for providing hygiene kits for mothers and the Christian Bookstore for providing children’s Bibles and Christian literature.

Special thanks to all the caring people who made personal contributions—some donated Bibles for women, others provided funds for creative supplies. Each of your gifts became part of the great miracle of healing.

When hearts find peace

Six days in Zakarpattia became a real miracle for 40 hearts broken by war. It was a time when broken hearts began to slowly heal thanks to the warmth of human kindness. When mothers realized that they were not alone in their grief. When children saw smiles on their mothers’ faces again.

“We are leaving with a positive attitude and faith in a better future,” said one of the participants. And that is probably the best description of what happened during these days.

The charitable foundation ‘Arms of Mercy’ will continue working to ensure that the families of our heroes feel supported and understood. Because the memory of Ukraine’s defenders lives not only in monuments, but in the care for those they left behind.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who makes such projects possible. Thank you for not leaving our heroines alone with their pain. Together, we can help heal hearts broken by war.

If you would like to support the families of fallen Ukrainian defenders or learn more about our projects, please get in touch with us.