Graduation in Times of War: A Path of Dignity and Light

The Family of Trust. A celebration. The fourth graduation of Dnipro’s children… in evacuation.

For four years now, I’ve walked side by side with these children — children who have shown me what true strength of spirit means.

The Dovira (Trust) Center for Social Support of Children and Families in Dnipro has become far more than just a place to me — it has become a real family.

At the start of the war, I was in Philadelphia.

I remember hearing: someone was collecting shoes for children from Ukraine. I didn’t have shoes I could give, but I had an immense desire to help. So I began searching for someone flying to Ukraine, hoping to learn what the children needed most.

That is how I met Tetiana Vasylieva, the director of Dovira, and Tetiana Naumenko.

I asked her: “What is it that you need most of all?”

Her answer deeply moved me:

— We have 137 grams of meat, volunteers bring us vegetables… Ms. Olena, please, give the children your lessons of kindness. Help them preserve love, goodness, and faith in people within their hearts.

That was the beginning of my journey with these children.

👉 Here’s a glimpse of those first days: https://uuhchildren.com/blog/when-it-is-so-scary-magic-game

And today, I have the joy of embracing these young men, watching their graduation, and wishing them:

May you walk your own path with dignity, never losing the light in your hearts.