UKRAINE: One year of war through the eyes of an aid worker

This is how the story started...

On the 24th February 2022 the war in Ukraine escalated dramatically. Suddenly, all 7.5 million children across the country were in grave danger of physical harm, severe emotional distress, and displacement.

Explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv and other major cities such as Kharkiv, forcing children and families into basements and bomb shelters. Parents tried to calm terrified children. Thousands more fled the capital, mostly by car. Temperatures dropped below freezing. Displaced children faced long nights and days exposed to brutal conditions.

The year that followed is not one anyone could have ever imagined.

My name is Kateryna, and as an aid worker from Ukraine, I also feel a part of this story as I lived through it.

I work for Save the Children in Ukraine as our Information and Communications Coordinator. I am from Sloviansk, Donetsk region, in Eastern Ukraine but I have been living in Kyiv for the last few years. I haven`t been working for Save the Children for a long time - just a year and a half, but it definitely feels like it`s been ages. In my role, I capture the experiences of children and their families through interviews and photos, work on reporting and coordinate with our teams across Ukraine on various creative communications products.

When the war escalated dramatically a year ago, my life changed. I was actually in Stockholm in Sweden, for a short vacation when I first heard what was happening. My international colleagues immediately offered support for me to stay in Sweden, in safety. This was very heart-warming indeed. But, I decided to head back to Ukraine, because I knew that I needed to be there to do anything I could to help.

This wasn't the first time I experienced conflict in my country. I have already been an internally displaced person (IDP) back in 2014 as I lived with my family in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, when the war started in Eastern Ukraine. It literally came to my hometown. For me, the war has already been going on for almost nine years, not just this one. The difference this time is that all Ukraine's major cities and regions that had previously not experienced war have now come under fire.

In these last 12 months I've been around the country, meeting families and seeing the work Save the Children has been doing with the support of my colleagues, our partners and supporters.

Those first days were scary and uncertain, but Save the Children managed to mobilise quickly. We rushed to deliver emergency supplies and to get in touch with our existing partners and the children we were supporting prior to the escalation to make sure they were safe. We established relationships with local authorities, volunteers and other possible partner organisations across the country, all to get an understanding of how we could best support children, families, and communities.

Soon, children started to tell us their stories...

Gathered by talented colleagues and brave children, the collection of stories below capture life for children inside Ukraine during one year of war.

Continue scrolling or click the menu along the top to read the stories of children from Ukraine and how Save the Children has been able to help.

_{Note: All text written in italics are direct quotes from children.}

_{* Names have been changed to protect identity.}

Samad*, 14

At the time, Samad was 14 and in less than one year he had fled two different countries because of conflict - first Afghanistan and then Ukraine. Up until July 2021, Samad lived in Afghanistan, while Samad's father, Mohammad*, lived and worked in Ukraine. When the situation escalated in Afghanistan, Mohammad was able to evacuate his family to Ukraine. They settled into the neighbourhood and were happy to be living peacefully. In his own words, Samad told us:

It was a very big thing for me to come from war and to live in a peaceful place. I made friends. It was very good for me. I come to school and the people were very kind.

But, when the war in Ukraine escalated Samad and his family were in shock. They heard explosions and once again Samad’s father acted quickly, packing everyone into their small car and driving to the Romanian border.

When the war started it was very bad for me because first I left my country from war and then the war started here. So I feel very nervous.

On the way, the roads were congested, and it took 35 hours to reach the border. When they arrived at the checkpoint, they waited for 3 days in a long line of vehicles.

Save the Children ran a Child Friendly Space at the Reception Centre in Northern Romania where Samad and his family were staying. There were dedicated spaces where children could play and recover from the difficult experiences they had been through.

Save the Children continues to provide families, like Samad's, with food, shoes, hygiene items, as well as advice and information.

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Nastia*, 13

Nastia is from the Donetsk region of Ukraine. She was living in a family run children's home with her foster family when the conflict escalated. She tells us:

Three months on from the escalation of the war, Nastia and her family were living in a school gym and being supported by Slavic Heart, one of Save the Children's partners.

Nastia and her foster siblings received bunker kits. Head of Slavic Heart, Save the Children Partner, Olga* shared the importance of these bunker kits for the wellbeing of children:

Very often the families of these children, cannot leave. It is very important to support the children who are right there, right in the war zone.

 Save the Children also provided cash assistance to families living in the shelter where Nastia was staying.

Slavic Heart are a Save the Children partner and support children through psychosocial programmes, Child Friendly Spaces in shelters, distribution of food, non-food item kits, toys and games.

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