The day Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Dima’s dad told him he might never see him again. The building in their street got blown up, and Dima’s father joined the military and left for the front line. Dima is one of 50 Ukrainian children attending a summer camp for kids whose loved ones have disappeared during the war.
The children participate in group therapy sessions, where they share their experiences and emotions. Many have multiple traumas, with fathers, uncles, and grandmothers missing. They live in a “frozen state,” unable to plan for the future due to the uncertainty surrounding their loved ones.
The camp offers various activities, including art therapy, hiking, and games, to help the children heal and have fun. The psychologists use a color chart to describe emotions, with green representing happiness, blue representing sadness, and red representing anger.
One girl, Nastia, shared her memories of her father, who disappeared around a year ago. She remembers him as kind and spoiling her with treats. The children are encouraged to express their feelings and memories of their loved ones.
The camp’s founder, Oksana Lebedieva, emphasizes the importance of group therapy in helping the children understand they are not alone in their pain. The scale of the task facing the charity is overwhelming, with millions of Ukrainian children traumatized by the war.
The children at the camp come from cities under constant bombardment by Russian drones and missiles. They have limited access to basic necessities like sleep, food, and safety. The camp provides a temporary escape from the war’s horrors, allowing them to heal and find support among peers who have experienced similar trauma.
As the camp comes to a close, the children say goodbye, with some visibly emotional about leaving. The founder notes that this reaction is common, as the children have formed strong bonds with each other and the staff. The charity’s work is crucial in addressing the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war, which has left millions of children traumatized.
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