Above: a young mother and child on their search for shelter.
Anastasia and Alisa find safety
In March 2022, we launched our Ukraine Crisis Appeal to support vulnerable children and families. All funds raised went directly to local organisations working on the ground in Ukraine and the region. One of these was ‘For Our Children’ in Bulgaria, which helped Anastasia and her daughter Alisa get back on their feet.
After war broke out in Ukraine, Anastasia and Alisa fled their home in Dnepropetrovsk for the safety of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Ukrainian men are not allowed to leave, so they had to embark on this intimidating and tiring journey without Alisa’s father, not sure when they would see him again.
In Plovdiv, Anastasia began to notice changes in Alisa’s behaviour. Concerned, she took her to a medical centre, where specialists diagnosed her with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Overwhelmed, alone, and unsure what to do next, Anastasia found out about For Our Children’s ‘Mission Ukraine’ programme through fellow refugees.
For Our Children reached out shortly after Anastasia made contact and quickly set up a support plan for Alisa. They provided the family with food, essential supplies, and hygiene packages. They assigned an Early Childhood Development psychologist, Michaela, who started working with Alisa; and the team also arranged for her to be enrolled in both kindergarten and music therapy.
At first, Alisa was very timid, cried often, and was quiet in group activities. But after just four months of support, she has shown remarkable improvement. She has become much calmer, better able to concentrate on tasks, and has started to interact more with the other children around her.
Your donations to our Ukraine Appeal have directly helped children like Alisa. With this holistic care and support in place, Anastasia and Alisa are now much better prepared to face the future.
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Family For Every Child’s impactful work supports the lives of over 23,000 children annually. By joining our global network of changemakers together, we are continuing to foster meaningful change led from the ground up.
