A safe refuge from war

It’s a story that is unfortunately becoming more and more familiar - a mother and her young children fleeing the scenes of war, hoping for safety as they cross the border

“We fled because we were scared. There was bombing in the area… We could only bring a few clothes and some medicines.”

When the fighting came terrifyingly close, 29-year-old mother of two Anna^* and her husband knew it was time to leave.

Anna’s husband drove her and their children Daryna^*, four, and Danilo^*, two, to the border. And just like many others, after seeing to his family’s safety, he drove back and stayed behind in Ukraine.

“My husband stayed behind. He drove us to the border before going back,” Anna shared.

“On the way we saw planes overhead, and the roads were very busy. We saw rockets being fired and destroyed buildings. There were sirens blaring constantly.”

Reaching safety

Upon reaching the border, Anna and her children stayed at a temporary camp before moving to the Reception Centre, where Save the Children runs child friendly spaces. There the children can play and regain a sense of normalcy amid chaos. 

4-year-old Daryna playing at Save the Children’s child friendly space.
Photo: ​Dan Stewart/ Save the Children 

Through the generosity of donors, Save the Children staff are meeting refugees as they arrive, to provide the essentials they need.

“Our teams are here handing out food, and blankets, and toys to help these families get through their first couple of days, while they find somewhere to stay or move on to somewhere safe,” Dan said.

Anna and her children hope to continue onto Czech Republic where they have friends waiting for them. But ultimately the final destination leads back to home.

For now, Anna and her children are safe, warm, fed and able to recover at the Reception Centre, where the children can attend Save the Children’s child friendly spaces.

^*Names have been changed to protect identity.