The meeting culminated in a closing ritual under a bright rainbow parachute. The children took turns voicing their dreams. Among the expected children’s desires – ‘a new doll’, ‘an anti-stress toy’ – there were also words that are hard to leave without tears:
- “l want peace to come…’
- “I want the war to end and my dad to come back. I miss him…”
- “I miss playing with my godfather, who is now at war…’
- “I want my mum to come back from the clouds… She died under fire.”
These simple, sincere phrases reveal the deep emotional reality of children whose childhood is accompanied by sirens and a sense of loss. Their eyes – big, open, trusting – say more than words. Their dreams are of adults beyond their years.
This meeting is just one of many held with the support of donors. But each such event is a chance for a child not to be left alone with fear, and for parents to gain knowledge and support that helps them build an internal resource to overcome the consequences of traumatic events