How Anna realised that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times

Anna is a 20-year-old Scout leader from Dnipro, Ukraine. She fled Ukraine when the war escalated in February 2022, but she returned to Dnipro as soon as it was safe to do so. Having faced displacement, Anna volunteers with internally displaced children who fled to Dnipro from war-affected cities like Mariupol and Sievierodonetsk. The immense support Anna received from strangers on her journey out of Ukraine left her motivated and inspired to give the same joy and assistance to other young people in a similar situation. Through her National Scout Organization, she involves displaced children in Scouting activities and Scouting’s educational approaches to re-introduce a sense of normalcy to their childhood, while supporting their learning and well-being. Anna shares her story:

I prepared my emergency suitcase in January 2022, as we all waited in anticipation over which day the war was going to start. My family already decided that my parents would stay behind in Ukraine, but my siblings and I would need to evacuate immediately to another country. I packed essentials like warm clothes, battery chargers, and important documents in my suitcase. In situations like this, we also want to hold on to things that have sentimental value and are not necessarily lifesaving. So, I tucked away a childhood photo of me and my mom and a postcard my best friend drew for me. I had no idea what kind of journey awaited me, or if I would ever see my hometown and parents again.

Exactly one year ago, I rushed to grab that suitcase so I wouldn’t miss one of the first evacuation trains leaving Ukraine. It was terrifying. The railway station was filled with elderly people, women, and children, all engulfed in confusion and fear. The train compartments were heavily overcrowded, and many passengers were in the walkway. The desperation for safety filled the air. I was accompanied by my siblings and friends of our family. We were escaping to Germany but stopped in many places along the way. We traveled for five days before reaching our destination, Berlin.

I was in Germany for six months, living in an apartment too small to fit us all. But we were safe and managed to be in touch with my parents as much as possible. When the situation in Dnipro improved in August, I decided it was time to return home. My parents discouraged the idea as Ukraine was far from stable or safe. It saddened me a lot that I never got to say a proper goodbye to anything or anyone back home, so when the opportunity came, I immediately went back.

I reconnected with Scouting in Dnipro. Most children in my Scout patrol fled the city so I didn’t have a patrol to lead anymore. I learned that my National Scout Organization was working with UNICEF (UAct project) on helping and welcoming Ukrainians who escaped the violence in their cities and moved to Dnipro. I wanted to be involved right away!

Along our journey out of Ukraine, I was humbled by the generosity of strangers offering us help. For example, when we stopped in Poland, a family invited us to spend the night in their home and cooked us a warm meal and we managed to shower and sleep comfortably before they drove us back to the station the next day. This is only one incident out of many that I am so grateful for. Volunteering in the UAct project and helping children who fled their cities is my way of sharing this gratitude and giving back the kindness that was given to me.

I love a quote from Harry Potter that says, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if you only remember to turn on the light.” To me, this light is the kindness of people who come your way.

Part of my role in the UAct project was working on recruiting adult volunteers to match the increasing number of Ukrainian children wanting to join our Scouting activities and programme. We managed to find more volunteers and now I lead a patrol of children who are around 11 and 12 years old. The children are mainly from Mariupol and Sievierodonetsk, who escaped to Dnipro in the last months. We’ve been at our Scout centre every week playing games, drawing, learning, and being creative with them. We introduce them to Scouting concepts and values through games to give them a better understanding of Scouting. A lot of the children bring their younger siblings along, so we opened a Cub Scout patrol.

We reached out to professional psychologists at the beginning, to advise us on the best approach to support the children and how to make sure we protect them and care for their wellbeing. I believe it’s a good thing that we’re able to relate to some of the children’s experiences in this war, but we focus more on making our Scout space a safe place for them to live their childhood and feel like they belong.

The children love Scouting now and ask for more frequent meetings. We asked the children for their feedback, and one girl said to me: “Everything was new here and I felt alone, but when I came to Scouting, I felt like I found a family. It makes me feel alive when I am here. I love the other kids and the leaders here too.”

My heart lit up when I heard her words. This is the light and happiness I want them to feel during their darkest times. We’re now looking forward to warmer weather so we can all enjoy outdoor activities and show them how much fun Scouting is outdoors. We can only hope for better weather and no warning sirens again.