“7 Days Without War”: A Journey of Children Returned from Occupation to Germany

“For the first time in a long time, I felt what it was like to be a child. A child who could sleep peacefully and not be afraid that this night would be the last,” says one of the participants of the trip.

A group of 19 Ukrainian teenagers visited Germany together with experts from the Ukrainian Child Rights Network. The project “7 Days Without War”, which we organized in cooperation with the charity organization “Help for Ukraine” of the Bierstein & Brachtal communities, gave children who had survived the occupation and other horrors of war the opportunity to reboot from daily explosions and anxiety.

This week, our teenagers spent their vacation at the Lutzel School Camp and the Güntersmühle Nature Friends’ House in Kassel. They visited the zoo, the local Hessian television and radio station, the house where the Brothers Grimm grew up, an amusement park, a swimming pool, played golf, and walked the streets of Frankfurt am Main. For all of them, it was their first experience of traveling abroad and an opportunity to get to know the culture of a new country.

“In Germany, I realized that at home I’m no longer afraid of drones, but here I’m afraid to ride the carousel. This is what the war has done to me. I look up at the sky, where airplanes are constantly flying in the peaceful sky, and I can’t believe that there is a world without war.” – said 16-year-old Anastasia.

The charitable organization “Help for Ukraine” was established by Germans and Ukrainians who have long lived in Germany and has been providing humanitarian support to Ukrainians since the first days of the full-scale invasion. In particular, Bundestag member Johannes Wiegelmann and Mayor of Bibergemünd Matthias Schmidt took part in the preparation of the recreation for the children. Their care, sincerity, and open hearts made this project a reality. It gave the children a sense of security, kindness, and the fact that the world did not leave them alone with the war.

Such initiatives are an important part of the reintegration of children after returning from the occupation. After all, returning to the government-controlled territories of Ukraine is only the beginning of a difficult journey in establishing everyday life. Every child and young person who returns needs material and psychological support. Providing basic needs, support of psychologists and case managers, organization of educational services with tutors are the basis of the return programs implemented by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network.

The opportunity to discover the world and meet new people allows teenagers to expand their horizons. The memories and emotions that children return home with will forever remain with them as a source of strength and a reminder that even in the darkest times there is room for kindness and caring.

We sincerely thank everyone who helped our children to feel the carefree childhood again.