This is Yaryna. She is six years old — and an orphan. Our team rescued her from occupation.

At her first art therapy sessions, she sat in the corner, eyes fixed on the floor, as if trying to become invisible.

While the documents were being processed to transfer her to the care of close relatives, she stayed in one of our Hope and Healing Centers and attended sessions with specialists. That’s when she tried art therapy for the first time: painting, sculpting, and making small crafts. Step by step, changes began. First came a cautious glance. Then a shy smile. Soon, she wasn’t missing a single session.

“For me, the greatest sign of trust was when she opened the door and immediately ran to hug me. It meant she trusted me enough to allow touch,” recalls art therapist Olena Sopruzhynska.

Art therapy is one of the most effective methods of healing through creativity. At our foundation, it is widely used in working with children rescued from temporarily occupied territories. Creative expression helps them process the consequences of trauma. For children especially, drawing or sculpting can express what is too difficult to put into words.

This project is implemented with the support of KSE Foundation, the charitable foundation of the Kyiv School of Economics.