The opening of that video says everything. What would you do if that happened to your children or grand-babies?
The focus of the Ukrainian people is their children. Some mothers fled with their children to protect them from the trauma of war. Others could not leave and some are still trapped behind enemy lines.
There are probably thousands of programs to help the children cope and Rotary is in the lead.
All over Ukraine, Rotarians have been providing humanitarian aid including food, clothing, medical and school supplies – for over a year. Here are some other things Rotarians are doing:
The Rotary Club Kharkiv Nadiya hand out cookies to the children in the villages. They helped a baker from one of the destroyed villages set up her bakery business, and then they buy the cookies to keep her in business.
Rotary in Cherkasy helped rescued horses from Bakhmut, in the middle of the major war zone, and with other professionals, are using them as Equine Therapy. To help children and the disabled.
The Rotary club Rakhiv, which is located in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains, has a two week camp for refugee and children from the war zone. For two weeks these kids get to be in a quiet place with other children and feel what it was like before the war started.
There are mobile pizza parties, art therapy, where children can paint their emotions. AI computer generated images where the kids just describe something, and the computer creates it. Some of these are available for auction if you are interested.
This is an AI image with watermelons created by a child from Kherson. This region is where this big round fruits are grown. It was recently taken back and the watermelon has become a national symbol of victory. This is also the Cossack region and watermelons are a key part of their history.
Every time one of the convoys goes to the front line they have pictures from the kids to the solders and volunteers.
Even with this and all the efforts across the country, it will take years for these children to be close to normal. You have to be careful not to slam a door or make sudden or loud sounds. The children are just shivering and quaking. They cannot sleep. There is a whole generation at risk. Not only in Ukraine but wherever there is war.
All of these programs go on every day and the Rotarians in Ukraine put everything they have into helping their own people. If you are interested in helping we would be glad to put you in touch with the right people.
Our mission is not to endorse one program over the other but to share with you the heart and soul of the Ukrainian people. We want to help you see the people and connect with them personally so if you decide to help you will know who you are helping.
Please let us know your thoughts, any stories you want to hear more about or how we can help you.
This is the greeting and at the end of the National Anthem
Slava Ukraina (glory to Ukraine)
And the reply:
Heroyam Slava ( Glory to the Heroes)
They refer to their military as heroes, I found a nation full of heroes.
