You have to take comfort in having so little control over your choices when you endure so long of conflict. The front line is now only 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from my city in northwest Ukraine.
In recent months, we all know that the front line has gotten closer. One village, another village, and a third village are reported to have been occupied every two or three days.
The city center has already been directly struck by cluster munitions. Sirens are constantly sounding, some lasting as long as two days. Because people’s minds get used to them over time, we don’t spend time in basements. Knowing that this coffee might be the last one, we stay outside and continue to live. We are aware that we are putting our lives on the line.
The key decision for many families in Sumy, including mine, is whether to relocate to a safer area. When it comes to choosing your home, your roots, your loved ones, and everything you’ve built, especially if your family isn’t leaving, the decision becomes very difficult. Even though she has been sleeping in the hallway for a while, my daughter and I are staying put because we feel safer there than in her window next door. However, some families have the option of leaving the city for a summer camp or a grandparents’ home before reevaluating the situation now that the school year is over. Some have permanently relocated and packed up.
I notice that the children aren’t taking the classes I teach through the Save the Children-supported League of Modern Women. A child will enjoy the lessons one day. They vanish the following day. Children continue to experience joy in these classes, giving them a sense of normality, joy-filled moments, and a glimpse of a true childhood. The only way for kids to interact with others in person is for them, who have been given months, even years, to learn online. And they are working together to improve resilience.
Children’s art and painting classes for young children encourage them to draw, express feelings, feelings, and dreams. They practice mindfulness and breathing techniques to remain calm during crises as well as playing team sports and sports. We encourage teenagers to collaborate on projects that aim to improve their local communities. For instance, one girl wants to start a drama club, and the other wants to have a Japanese manga comics library. We provide them with advice on how to write a project proposal, budget, and get a mentor. Children should be able to escape and develop their imaginations beyond the realities of war, which is refreshing and necessary.
Childhoods are being eroded by this reality. A good night’s sleep, which is crucial to children’s health and development, has faded because of the constant sirens.
Due to this fact, children have been separated from their fathers. One of the girls in my class had a long period of bad mood. She finally stated, “I want to see Dad. He has a military career.
Parents around the world will recall this fact from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prevented children from socializing. My classes began with a boy struggling to communicate with others because his only interaction with other children was for a while long a computer screen. He has finally come out of his shell. Numerous children have repeatedly had to say goodbye to friends while traveling.
A boy and his friend wanted to sing the ukulele in a class, but everyone else did. We replied, “Of course, proceed!” These were ninth- and 10-year-olds in the fourth grade. Their classmates turned off the lights and lit up their phone flashlights while they stood up and began playing and singing. For five minutes, they transformed our shelter classroom into a concert hall. Even for a brief moment in a city under attack, it was wonderful to see them enjoying life.
That makes sense for me to choose to remain in Sumy. The families and children in this place cannot be left alone. Our classes provide that our children need. Something could occur somewhere else if you left Sumy. Moving to Ukraine is like winning the lottery, regardless of whether it’s a border city or the capital. Safety cannot be guaranteed.
Every day, the significance of that choice becomes clearer for those of us who have chosen to stay. There would be no Sumy and no one to protect if we all left.
Source: Aljazeera
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