A girl's journey through war and displacement in Ukraine
“I don't remember the beginning of the war well. I think my brain just shut down,” says Eva, 15, her voice filled with sadness and a certain strength.
From the small town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, the teenage girl has a quiet resilience that belies the distress she has faced. Like many others, her life took a dramatic turn when the war in Ukraine started in February 2022. After two weeks of war, together with her mother they made the difficult decision to flee to Lviv, leaving behind the only home she’d ever known.
At first, they stayed with relatives in a village near Lviv, the unfamiliar environment adding to the chaos around them. But the warmth of family and the support they found in a local community gradually helped them settle.
Eva initially continued her education online through her school in Huliaipole. Yet, distance, both physical and emotional, weighed on her. Things changed when she transitioned to a local school in Lviv for her 8th-grade studies. “I like it very much,” she shares with a smile. “I’ve made friends with my classmates, and the teachers here are incredible. I’m even sad to leave.” Next year, Eva has big plans – she dreams of enrolling in a music college in Lviv.
My dream is to enter a music college in Lviv and become a professional orchestra conductor. I want to study and go to Europe, to France.
But the road to finding a sense of belonging wasn’t easy. “At first, it was difficult. No friends, no familiar places,” she admits. Slowly, through attending music school and participating in various workshops and circles, Eva began to carve out a new life.
A turning point came when her mother discovered a local day center, funded by Aktion Deutschland Hilft. Run by World Vision’s local partner, the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, the center opens its doors to children and women, and internally displaced families. Among the variety of activities like art therapy, craft master classes, it also provides protection and psychosocial support services.
This center became a safe space for Eva – a place where she could express herself creatively. “I love to draw, so I often go to activities related to drawing,” she says with enthusiasm. The year she’s spent at the center has expanded her social circle, providing not only friends but also a crucial support network.
Though Eva hasn’t worked directly with a psychologist yet, she finds solace in the regular conversations she has with the center's social workers. Their support has helped her process the immense changes she’s faced and keep her dreams alive.
“My dream is to enter a music college in Lviv and become a professional orchestra conductor. I want to study and go to Europe, to France,” she shares, her eyes lighting up as she talks about her future. For now, though, Eva is focused on her music, her friends, and embracing the new life she’s slowly building in Lviv.
The impact of war is already causing psychological scars among children. According to a report, 75 per cent of parents reported their children had symptoms of psychological trauma, which included 16 per cent who had impaired memory, a shorter attention span, and decreased ability to learn.
Psychological trauma, stress, and anxiety are more pronounced for children in frontline areas, including the Kharkivska, Luhanska, Donetska, Zaporizka, Khersonska, Sumska, and Mykolaivska regions.
World Vision Ukraine Crisis Response has reached to over 156,000 people who have benefitted from mental health services.
Download: Gender-Based Violence Amid War in Ukraine
Story by Anna Lukianenko, Communications Officer I Photos by Laurentia Jora, UCR Advocacy and Communications Manager