21 January

After the Christmas break, Borysfen resumed live operations. Parents were happy that teachers would finally share the responsibility of raising their children with them. They happily sent their children back to school.

However, we soon suffered a terrorist attack from Russia amid a 20-degree frost. Many schools were forced to extend their holidays because they lost heating, water and electricity all at once.

However, we continued our live work at the school because, thanks to international donors, we had a generator, an inverter and batteries. For many children, school became a place where it was warm, bright, comfortable and where food was tasty. This was because it was cold at home. Some of them had to sleep in sleeping bags, set up tents in the living room and wear gloves indoors. Knowing this, we couldn't go on holiday. We wanted to provide reliable support for our school families.

So our school became a fortress called 'Borysfen' for all of us. Every day, we follow our routine: studying new material, drawing, doing crafts and rehearsing performances.

Children's lives should be lively, active, joyful and safe, even amid the horrors of war. We, their teachers, are doing everything we can to make that happen.