"I was shaking all over, we sat in the basement all day. I heard something flying, fighter jets, and strong explosions started until the morning. 4 people were killed. Our walls were shaking and a tree fell next to the house." - these are memories of seven-year-old Sofia about the first days of the war.
The family lived without electricity, gas and communication and, besides, for some time they were forced to starve, due to the fact that the supply of products to the stores stopped. All because the russians damaged the bridge connecting the city with populated areas.
Escaping the war, the girls finished the school year in a damp basement. Little Svyatik didn't understand for a long time why he couldn't go to kindergarten or walk outside. All childhood joys were killed. And Evgenia lost her job as a teacher, but could only think about the safety of her children.
Due to a nervous breakdown, the eldest daughter, Katya, had a relapse of the disease. A 12-year-old girl has rheumatoid arthritis, as does her sister. Thank God, doctors managed to provide medical assistance to Katya: amidst the explosions and shooting, the child was operated on in a local hospital.
"It's very scary, very painful. It was no longer possible to live in constant fear for the children, there was danger at any moment. That's why we left." - says Evgenia.
Our volunteers from the Zaporizhia hub met the mother and children, provided them with temporary shelter and sent them by train to western Ukraine.
Evgenia wishes people who are afraid to leave the occupied territory to gather courage and take a risk. Because the life and safety of children is the most important thing.
