Kirsi Koski-Kujala 
For nearly four years now, Ukrainian families have been raising their children under rockets and bombardments. In Zaporizhzhia, Fida supports families living in the midst of crisis so that they can hold on to hope.
Civilians in the city of Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding villages in eastern Ukraine live under constant shelling.
–The latest air raid siren went off half an hour ago, while I was having my morning coffee and reading the Bible,” says Vitalii Marchenko, Fida’s regional coordinator in Zaporizhzhia, during a video call from his home city.
When asked how he reacted, Vitalii says he continued reading. This time, drones struck a nearby power substation. Shortly afterwards, Russia bombed a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia.
Vitalii lives between a railway station, a military base and an aircraft engine factory – areas that are targeted almost daily.
Staying calm for the children
Vitalii Marchenko, 34, is a husband and father of three boys. His wife and children have had to adapt to a new kind of normal. Their youngest, now three years old, has never known peacetime. Despite the constant threat, Vitalii believes he is where he is meant to be.
What keeps us sane is our faith in God.
In autumn 2022, his wife and children were evacuated to western Ukraine for a few months during the heaviest bombings. Today, the family is back together at home.
– This is our daily life. You get used to everything – even living in the middle of a war. At the beginning of the invasion, I clearly felt called to stay here, Vitalii says.
Sometimes the air raid sirens sound without pause. When an alert comes, Vitalii checks an app on his phone to see how close the missiles are.
– Otherwise, we would be constantly running up and down from our eighth-floor apartment. Sometimes the sky is so full of missiles and drones that the tracking app looks like a spider’s web, he sighs.
Children watch their parents closely. If the adults remain calm, they continue playing.
– In the midst of fear and stress, parents have to stay calm for the sake of their children, Vitalii explains.
The heavy burden on mothers
Vitalii works for Edobro, the relief organisation of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church, and has coordinated Fida’s support in Zaporizhzhia and a nearby village for the past year and a half.
The project has provided cash assistance to families with no other source of income. Another key form of support has been mothers’ support groups.
War places a particular burden on mothers, many of whom carry full responsibility for their families while their husbands serve in the army. Some have lost their spouses on the front line.
Children’s social lives have also changed dramatically in areas under constant attack. Due to repeated air raid alerts, schools and kindergartens are open only a few hours in the mornings, as many buildings lack bomb shelters.
Hobbies and extracurricular activities are largely suspended. Children have few opportunities to meet one another, and the quality of education suffers.
Life-changing children’s clubs
Over the past 18 months, more than 1,000 children have participated in Fida-supported children’s clubs held in local libraries in Zaporizhzhia. These clubs provide a safe space for children to play and process their traumatic experiences.
Cooperation with local authorities has been smooth, and feedback has been positive. Under the guidance of Fida’s psychosocial support specialist Heidi Siren, club leaders have been trained to help children develop tools for calming themselves and coping with fear. Some groups are specifically designed for the children of war veterans, who often carry deep trauma.
– Mothers have told us that their children now use the calming techniques they learned at the clubs at home during air raid alerts, Vitalii says.
– The clubs have been very important. Some children have attended since the beginning.
Our prayer is that through our work, children could at least have moments when they are simply allowed to be children.
Vitalii Marchenko, with his family in the picture
Training for teachers in war-affected areas
Fida will continue to prioritise children’s psychosocial wellbeing in Ukraine. In March, a new development cooperation project will begin in the regions of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. The project will continue the children’s club activities and strengthen cooperation with local schools.
Training will be provided for teachers on topics such as children’s psychosocial wellbeing and supporting students with disabilities. Vitalii is currently planning the activities together with his team.
As the skies above Ukraine show no sign of calming, Vitalii shares his hope:
– Our prayer is that through our work, children could at least have moments when they are simply allowed to be children.
Support Ukraine!
As the war drags on, funding for many Ukrainian organisations has decreased. The need, however, has not disappeared – it has grown.
We want to stand alongside the people of Ukraine now, when support is needed more than ever.
Article: Milka Myllynen and Kirsi Koski-Kujala Photo: PMU Ukraine
