Hope and home

Boarding school for displaced children

Photographs of former students turned soldiers hang on the entrence wall of the Dzhulynka boarding school. These are the faces of young men who likely dreamed of building their lives and achieving their goals. Now, they find themselves on the battlefield.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, the Dzulynka teachers and caretakers are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. They hope their current students will grow up in a world of peace, but they must also equip them with the skills needed to navigate the harsh realities of a life impacted by conflict.

Children at Dzhulynka boarding school.

“Kids here are not only given a home and education; they are also taught essential life skills – such as how to work a vacuum cleaner or a fire extinguisher, explains Maja, one of Operation Change´s volonteers. She adds, “In wartime, essential ‘life skills’ include learning what to do if you encounter a mine – which speaks volumes about the harsh reality facing kids in today´s Ukraine.”

The Dzulynka boarding school cares for 34 children with special needs and disablities from war-affected areas, many of them from refugee families. They receive the education and care needed to become capable and self-sufficient citizens. Many of them suffer from war-related traumas and need special attention. Volodymyr heads up the facility, and he and his team of eight puts immense effort into giving these kids the tools to handle their experiences, and prepare them for adulthood.

The school consists of several buildings: one housing classrooms, another for sleeping quarters and a third serving a canteen. A lot of effort is put into making sure these vunerable kids feel safe and secure, and an important part of that is to provide order and structure in their lives.

“It is a very loving and creative environment,” says Maja.” There are rooms for making arts and crafts, learning practical skills in fire safety, medical care, elecrtrical safety, and more. She continues, “Volodymir told us about a non-verbal boy of around five years old who came to live at the boarding school two years ago. He couldn’t speak a single word. Now he speaks again; it’s lovely to see,” Maja adds.

Operation Change is currently making much-needed improvements on the boarding school buildings; including new floors, toilets and in the future, to develop the outdoor playground. Several generous donations by companies such as Svenska Kakel and Gustavsberg have made it possible.