The goal of the International Charity Forum “Mothers for Ukraine” is to help children who remain in Ukraine and to remind the world about all Ukrainian children whose childhood was taken away by the war.
The Foundation knows and learns about the problems faced by Ukrainian children every day. Someone has not been able to restore the child’s mental health for more than a year, because they had to leave under occupation. Someone lost everything material: house, belongings, favorite toys. Do you know what the mother from Donetsk region is asking us for? Send a soft toy to the little one. “The one that has already been used is also suitable. She just wants to hug someone softly in her sleep. Not to be afraid. And her toys are gone. There, the teddy bear remained under the rubble.”
There is also a problem with children whose families were on the brink of poverty because of the war. Yes, they are not immigrants, they did not have to leave home. But they were left without work, without money. A mother of many children from the Odesa region: «If you can send sweets to my children, I will be very grateful. I buy them porridge myself, because I have to cook something. And they haven’t seen anything sweet since the beginning of the war».
Recently, we opened the reception of applications for families raising children with disabilities. We collected 500 applications from 500 families in less than one hour. Can you imagine? They all need help. Because there isn’t even enough for diapers and diapers…
A mother and her daughter (a resettled woman from Henichesk) took pillows and blankets from the Foundation and cried. The child says “We’ve been sleeping with our jackets on for weeks now.” How is it? “We twist them under our heads and sleep. A little uncomfortable.”
The Fund gives a playpen, stroller, bottles, diapers and other miscellaneous things to a pregnant girl who is about to give birth, and she quietly says, as if making excuses: «we already bought all this. We had everything, really. Bought in advance. Because they were waiting for it to appear… and now the house is gone. And there is no cart. But there were…».
It is possible to give out as much fresh bread as needed. Mother of four: “can we have three? – you can have five! – really? Awesome! What luck, I can make crackers for later.”
Families who have taken care of orphans need gadgets for learning. “The school is closed, I have seven of them, and only one tablet. Well, my phone is also mine. That’s how they learn. One lesson alone. Then others. But we don’t want the war to deprive them of the opportunity to become educated.”
The Foundation faces such stories every day. Our children suffer every day. The material and psychological condition of children is currently very difficult.
Therefore, we are holding the “Mothers for Ukraine” Forum to raise funds for the Fund’s project on targeted assistance to children affected by the war.
The necessary amount to now help 500 families of Ukraine who are raising children with disabilities and are on the verge of poverty is 50,000 euros.
Also, we are holding this Forum in order to hold Summer Festivals for children-migrants in different places of Ukraine. Such measures will help to stabilize their emotional state and reduce anxiety.
Yes, the Foundation, conducting events (necessarily in shelters and bomb shelters), understood their significance for today. Immigrant children are traumatized, they need communication, help and support. Even after a year of war, we have to fight for the happiness of our children. We aim to hold 6 such events in 6 cities of the country (for 600 children).
The estimated amount for this is 23,000 euros.