Mykyta is nine. When we first met, he clung tightly to his grandmother’s hand, avoided eye contact, and hesitated to take a toy — a bright red fire truck. For a long while, he just stood aside, watching quietly, as if trying to understand whether this place was truly safe.

The boy had suffered a deep loss — the death of his mother. Together with his brother and sister, he was left in the care of his grandmother. When the shelling in their city intensified, the Save Ukraine team helped the family evacuate from the danger zone and find shelter in Irpin. But after everything they had been through, Mykyta’s grandmother had a stroke. She is now recovering — and so is he.

With the support of our specialists, Mykyta is slowly opening up, making new friends, learning to play, to trust, and to smile again. Every “hello” from him is a small but genuine victory.

At Save Ukraine’s Community Center, as part of the EMPOWER program, we’re helping Mykyta catch up on his studies and rebuild his self-confidence. Our psychologists also work with his grandmother, guiding her on how best to support her grandson on this journey.

Our Community Centers are places where children and their families receive not only assistance but also warmth, attention, and acceptance. Here, they can simply be themselves — to feel cared for and take their first steps toward healing. For children who have returned from occupation or frontline areas, it means more than just a roof over their heads — it’s a chance to feel like a child again.

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

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