Two brothers from southern Ukraine — Denys and Marko saw Russian forces storm their home, put a bag over their mother’s head, and take her away.

Recovery begins with something simple — the warmth of human touch, a kind look, and the feeling that you are not alone. That’s exactly how the Save Ukraine Hope and Healing center team in Hatne works every day.

Thanks to Save Ukraine, more than 900 children have already been rescued from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories.

This week, our Save Ukraine Early Intervention center celebrated the graduation of the “Smarties” group.

In post-conflict recovery work, children’s drawings are not just pictures — they are a form of communication.

When the full-scale invasion began, Andrii was only four. Half his life was spent under occupation — surrounded by explosions, flags of a foreign army, fear, and silence. He rarely left home and kept asking his mother, “Why are they shooting at us? What did we do?”

With our guests, we spoke about what truly matters — Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia.

This week, we had the honor of welcoming the Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine, Mr. Carlo Formosa, to our Hope and Healing Center. During the visit, we spoke about what truly matters: rebuilding Ukraine begins with supporting children, families, and communities that have endured occupation, deportation, and war.

That woman is Iryna Hordinets, a speech therapist with over 35 years of experience. She works with children who have experienced occupation, displacement, or developmental challenges — including autism, selective mutism, and trisomy 21.