What happens to a child when they have hardly any contact with their peers? When school lessons only take place online and there are no sports or cultural activities? In February 2024, there were still 33,000 children living in the Donetsk region. 33,000 children who will one day shape the future of Ukraine – and so far have known almost nothing but war and loneliness. Base UA regularly organizes art courses and educational events for them – throughout the region, including dangerous places like Kostiantynivka. In Kramatorsk, we run a cultural space for children and young people – the TERYKON.

All too often, these kids came into contact with volunteers who would show up, give them sweets or toys, take photos and disappear again. Relationships could never be built, trust never gained and contacts never maintained. Although this and social interaction are the most essential things for healthy development.

Our primary focus is on the well-being of children and teenagers, recognizing them as the most vulnerable demographic affected by the ongoing conflict. Throughout the global pandemic, these young individuals have been confined to online schooling, depriving them of vital peer interaction. Many of their friends have relocated both within Ukraine and abroad, further exacerbating their sense of isolation