Empower & Educate Ukraine's War-Affected Youth

Project Update

Thanks to your support, children who have lost a parent due to the war in Ukraine are continuing their education and rebuilding confidence in their futures. Today, we want to share two stories that show how access to English education becomes a source of stability, motivation, and hope.

Alina’s story

Alina grew up in a happy family in Chernihiv. She loved drawing, playing with toy ponies, and spending time with her father at the playground. She was only four years old when the full-scale war began. Her father immediately joined the city’s territorial defense and was later killed during an airstrike.

Before the war, Alina attended kindergarten and had not yet started learning English. After being forced to temporarily relocate to western Ukraine, the family eventually returned home. Today, Alina is in second grade, but constant air raid sirens and interrupted lessons make regular learning extremely difficult.

English classes became a bright spot in her life. Inspired by her older brother, who studies in English at university, Alina is highly motivated to learn. Supportive teachers, engaging lessons, and a child-friendly learning format helped her feel safe and confident again. She now completes tasks with joy, believes in her abilities, and dreams of speaking English as fluently as her brother one day.

Anastasiia’s story

Anastasiia’s life changed forever in August 2024, when her father, a soldier in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed during a combat mission. Before the war, she lived in Synelnykove, loved traveling, photography, and dreamed of studying abroad. English was her bridge to the wider world and her future ambitions.

War made learning unstable: frequent sirens, power outages, canceled lessons, and emotional stress took a heavy toll. After losing her father, focusing on studies became even harder.

Despite everything, Anastasiia achieved an important milestone this year — she enrolled in Kyiv University of Technology and Design and moved to Kyiv. Confident English skills are essential for her studies and her dream of international exchange programs.

Thanks to donor support, Anastasiia continues learning English in an immersive and engaging format. Full language immersion with an English-speaking teacher has strengthened her confidence and motivation. For her, these lessons are not just about language — they are about believing in the future again. Anastasiia says English opens doors to new opportunities and keeps her dream alive. She is certain that one day, one of those doors will lead her to Paris.

Thank you for making these journeys possible. Your support helps children not only continue learning, but also rediscover hope, confidence, and belief in a future worth striving for.