WWO - Impact Report Pages - Flipbook - Page 13
Meet Eva
Eva was only 2 years old when the war began. Melitopol,
where Eva’s family lived, was one of the most severely
bombed areas in Ukraine. The explosions interrupted
her family’s peaceful life, and they were forced to
hide in their basement to survive. Eva was scared
and couldn’t make sense of what was going on.
Before the war, she had gone to kindergarten
where every day had been filled with fun.
Leaving Melitopol, and the stability of her home,
was traumatic for her and her family. With the help
of volunteers, they escaped to Warsaw, Poland where
the father awaited them.
Initially, the family stayed at a
refugee camp, but Eva found the crowds and noises
difficult to cope with. She did not want to leave her
mom’s side and did not willingly visit the camp’s
kindergarten.
In the summer, the family left Poland and managed
to get to Sofia, Bulgaria where they finally found a
safe and secure home. The Ukrainian community
in Sofia referred the family to WWO’s EOP® program
in December. During her first
few visits, Eva feared the
loud games and laughter
of the children in the Learning Space. She cried and
refused to stay in the group without her mom.
However, with a lot of care and patience, our play
specialist Svetlana bonded with Eva, and she
started staying in the group without her mother.
Only two months later, Eva now takes part in all
group activities with the children. Her drawings,
once dominated by black paint, are now full of
color. Every day she becomes more and more active
in the games, she engages with the other children,
and expresses curiosity about the world around her.
2022 Annual Report
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