It was a pity for Natalya to say goodbye to her native village of Zakitne in the Donetsk region, which is located in a remarkable area on the banks of the river, and surrounded by high chalk hills and forests. The entire way, the woman had been recalling the times she and her son Yaroslav had fun here before the war. Recalled how they bathed in the river, went for mushrooms, gathered as families in nature or at someone’s home played, had fun, and enjoyed life. Suddenly, deep sadness and pain could be seen in the woman’s eyes…

Zakitne is located not so far from the front, and frequent arrivals in 1.5 years have become regular here. Everything in the village was either closed or destroyed. Many people left, and the only children left were Yaroslav and another boy of his age who had been living on the next street.

“No matter how much we want to stay, we have to go for the sake of Yaroslav and his future, because it’s not here. The village has all left, we are the penultimate family, and we no longer have windows at home…”, Natalia said in the end.

Unfortunately, the Zholudev family had to separate. Because the father of 12-year-old Yaroslav stayed to look after his parents and the household. However, Natalia and her husband promised each other that they would soon meet again. The boy and his mother are now safe in our “Hope and Healing” Center.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 0 800 333 129 – the all-Ukrainian hotline of the Save Ukraine rescue network with the support of @usaid_ukraine.