Kosciuszko Foundation for the Ukrainian Orphans
The Kosciuszko Foundation co-funded the Children’s Rehabilitation Project, organized with the Folkowisko Foundation in Cieszanow, Poland. The initiative, which took place from July 16 to 21, aimed to heal trauma in kids who lost their parents in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We are proud to support this initiative dedicated to the youngest victims of the Russian aggression. At the KF, our mission is to help build a brighter future for young people, and those children have been deeply hurt at the very beginning of their journeys,” said Marek Skulimowski, KF President and Executive Director.
“The human losses in Ukraine are enormous. We decided to choose the families with the largest number of children who lost their fathers in the war,” said Volodymyr Mykhalyshyn, Vice President of the Folkowisko Foundation and Project Manager of its Children’s Rehabilitation Project.
Eighty individuals from Chervonograd, Yavoriv, Lviv, and Novoyavorivsk were invited to participate in the camp. Fifty were children aged 2-18, twenty-nine were mothers, and there was also one grandfather. Among the participants were also kids whose parents disappeared without notice or remained in Russian captivity. Besides helping children, the secondary goal of the camp was to provide psychological help to their mothers and caregivers.
“We wanted to keep them away from bad thoughts and traumatic memories as much as possible,” stressed Mykhalyshyn. The camp location, Lesna Chata in Cieszanow, offered comforting and restful conditions. Daily activities included workshops with psychologists and educational activities with animators. In their free time, the families took advantage of the regional attractions: they took a trip to a zoo in Zamosc or visited an amusement park in Rzeszow.
“The kids got a chance to experience the joy of childhood without air alarms, explosions, and hiding in a bomb shelter. The camp brought fantastic results and gave the children hope for the future,” said Mykhalyshyn. “With the help of the Kosciuszko Foundation, we are able to organize another camp planned for 20-30 August 2023. It will be dedicated to children from Eastern Ukraine,” he concluded.
“Since the beginning of the war, with the generosity of our donors, we have raised $1.8 million through the KF Help Ukraine Fund. Thanks to these funds, we could help thousands of individuals, including students, scholars, and others. We hope to continue doing it to support as many Ukrainians in need as possible,” concluded Marek Skulimowski.
Anyone who would like to support the KF’s work is encouraged to do so by becoming a member of the organization or making a donation.
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