A Winter Camp for War-Weary Clients

I believe that every mother and child has the right to live in a world filled with laughter, dancing, singing, learning and happiness.

However, Russian aggression stole this peace from Ukrainian children. While everyone in the United States celebrated Christmas, New Years, and visited family and friends, Ukrainian families hid in shelters and lived without light or heat for days and weeks at a time.

Ukraine is still at war.

Millions of people have had to leave their homes, fleeing from the threat of danger. Sadly, even the cities people flee to cannot guarantee complete safety, especially for mothers with small children.

Targeted missile attacks have already destroyed 50% of all power stations in Ukraine and put civilians in grave danger this winter.

Our organization stands with Ukrainian families during these times.

This January, we held the first ever SALI Winter Camp for mothers from Eastern Ukraine who have lost their homes.

We were able to find a safe place in the Carpathian Mountains and give them a week of peace, quiet, and celebration. Our camp brought together 72 participants, most of whom are refugees. 

We provided an exciting program for kids where they could play games, take part in creative contests, sing holiday songs, and truly experience the Christmas spirit. Mothers were able to have some peace, engage in some crafts, enjoy the fresh mountain air, and experience kindness and love.

These five days became a real holiday for some of the young mothers, who went through all the terrors of war and have been in constant danger for the past ten months.

We believe that being able to physically and mentally recharge is an important element of helping families with small children and I'm so glad that Save a Life International had the opportunity to hold this wonderful camp during the war in Ukraine. 

We can’t wait to host this camp next year!

- Nadia