This is Andrii. He dreams of building airplanes and robots — and he holds on to that dream even during blackouts and air raid sirens. But today, his father is in captivity.

The trauma has taken a toll: Andrii struggles to focus, becomes easily agitated, and constantly seeks attention.

At Save Ukraine’s Community Center, we enrolled him in our EMPOWER program for psychosocial support and learning recovery. Carefully designed activities gave him an outlet for his energy. In group play, he learned to channel it into teamwork. In the role of “team leader,” he rediscovered responsibility and confidence.

His biggest breakthrough came through art. When asked to draw, he created a picture titled “Family under the Sun.”

“The sun is so my dad comes home sooner,” Andrii explained.

In our Community Centers, children like Mark receive not only academic catch-up and psychological care, but also safe spaces to regain trust, resilience, and the simple joy of being a child. For many recently rescued from occupation, shelter is not enough — they need warmth, attention, and consistent support.

And that’s exactly what they find here.

We are deeply grateful to Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe for your trust, partnership, and vital contribution to the recovery of Ukrainian children.

The project “EMPOWER: Education, Mental health, Protection, and Opportunities for Well-being and Enhanced Resilience” is implemented by Save Ukraine in partnership with the German humanitarian organization Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.