This month’s Save the Children impact briefing features updates from our teams in Ukraine, Uganda and Egypt.
First, we’re sharing Lesia’s* story from Ukraine – a personal statement about why she decided to stay in her home near the war’s frontlines, rather than flee to a safer area.
SUMY, UKRAINE – June 2025
Why I have decided to stay as the frontline moves closer, by Lesia*
My city in northwest Ukraine is now just 20 kilometers away from the frontline. We all know that the frontline has been getting closer in recent months. Every two or three days there are reports that one village, another village and a third village, have been occupied. Cluster munitions (a type of explosive that disperses smaller bombs at various times) have already directly hit the city center.
For many families in Sumy, like mine, the critical decision is whether to flee to a safer area.
When this is your home, your roots, your loved ones, everything you’ve built – especially if family members aren’t planning to leave – then it becomes a very complex decision.
My daughter and I are staying put, though she has been sleeping in the hallway for the past few months, feeling safer there than in her bed next to the window.
But with the school year now over, some families with the option are leaving the city — a summer camp, a grandparents’ house – before reassessing the situation. Some have packed up and left for good.
I feel the children’s absence in the classes I facilitate through the local organization League of Modern Women, supported by Save the Children. One day a child is enjoying the lessons, the next day they’re gone.
These classes continue bringing joy to children – giving them some sense of normality, moments of joy and a glimpse of a real childhood. For children who have been limited to online learning for months, even years, it is the only opportunity they have to interact with other children in person. And they are supporting one another, building resilience.
Click here to read Lesia’s full story >>
Next, we’re sharing a family’s story from Uganda. Originally from the DRC, they were forced to seek asylum in Uganda amidst ongoing violence in their neighborhood.
Transit Center, UGANDA – November 2024
Bandile*, 39, Joan*, 28, and their three children, 10-year-old Simon*, 7-year-old Robert* and 2-year-old Maria* spent years hiding from armed groups, enduring countless attacks and often seeking shelter in the bushes outside their home. Living in constant fear, they could no longer bear the situation. After abductions and killings at night escalated near their home, they had no choice but to flee their homeland in the Democratic Republic of Congo and seek asylum in Uganda.
Their journey to the Transit Center in Uganda was not easy, but Bandile and Joan worked tirelessly to make it as smooth as possible for their children, bringing a few belongings to offer comfort while they are so far from home.
For Simon, it was his school uniform. But still, they traveled barefoot to avoid making noise as they climbed through bushes, leaving all their shoes behind.
Once they arrived, the family received critical care and supplies – including shoes and health products.
Thanks to support from Save the Children, this family received much-needed care, especially for their children. The kids were able to play and engage with others at our child-friendly space, gaining some relief from the traumatic events they’ve endured.
Save the Children spent two days with the family at the Transit Center and one day with them at the resettlement center they relocated to. Now, Bandile and Joan are determined to use their skills to start businesses, earn a living and improve their children’s lives.
Here’s what Joan had to say: “We ran away to protect ourselves [from the armed groups]... I’m very happy to go [to the refugee camp]. I think the people who are helping us here [in the Transit Center] will continue to support us once we get there.”
Click here to learn more about how we’re helping children and families in Uganda.
Finally, we’re sharing an update from a photography workshop that Save the Children hosted in Egypt for children who were forced to flee Gaza. These children and their families are currently receiving cash assistance and support through a child-friendly space in Cairo, Egypt.
CAIRO, EGYPT – April 2025
At Save the Children’s child-friendly space in Cairo, we hosted a workshop with renowned photographer Misan Harriman to equip the children with photography skills and inspire them to become budding photographers. We provided each child with a camera and an activity book to complete over the coming weeks. The activity book is designed to encourage children to capture images of their daily lives, allowing them to share their personal stories through photography.
At the workshop, we asked some of the refugee children who could make them feel safe again. Here are some of their responses:
