Charity launched by Norfolk soldier in Ukraine mission

Most of the 105,000 children living in Ukraine’s 700 orphanages were evacuated when Russia invaded and staff fled one year ago.

But with the country’s social services still in tatters, and amid fears of widespread child trafficking, neglect and abuse, the race is now on to track down the orphans scattered by war.

And a specialist UK charity started by a former Norfolk soldier is at the heart of the desperate rescue mission.

Hope and Homes for Children is on the ground, working with partners, attempting to trace and protect as many as possible of the 105,000 - including in places where there is fighting raging.

Because eight out of 10 children living in Ukraine’s huge Soviet-style orphanage network have living parents, an estimated 96,000 were sent back to their families when fighting broke out.

A further 2,600 were evacuated across borders, while more than 3,000 children remain in orphanages. Others have completely disappeared.

The charity’s army of social workers are ensuring children are in safe families, have shelter, heating, food, water, medicine and trauma counselling.

They’re also making sure children orphaned by war, and those with injured parents, are not locked up in orphanages. 

But with war still raging in bitter winter temperatures, Ukraine now faces the prospect of its orphanages filling up like never before.

The charity’s Norfolk founder, ex-Gurkha officer Col Mark Cook said: "One year on in the disastrous war in Ukraine, it is impossible for any of us to know what it must be like to be there in the terrifying conditions in which many are living.  

"We see pictures of families fleeing for their lives and others sheltering in the cellars of their houses as they are being bombed.  But how much more terrifying must it be for the children who were, or still are, in orphanages without that protecting love of their own family? 

“We have been working in Ukraine for the past 25 years, trying to get successive governments to agree to change their old communist system of orphanages and replace it with ones of family-based care. 

"They did not listen and there were 105,000 children in 700 orphanages across the country when the war started.  Many of those closed as the staff fled with their own families and other have been destroyed in the fighting.  

"Now our team, which has been increased in size, has the incredibly difficult task of locating all those thousands of children, and finding out their family history and reuniting them wherever possible."

The war has created a new generation of orphans – including sisters Alina (7), Oleksandra (10) and Oksana (13).

The siblings live with their grandmother, Mariia, in Ivankiv, where during a 36-day occupation Russian troops damaged 2,000 houses and executed villagers at gun point outside their homes.

Young Alina, Oleksandra and Oksana witnessed their mum and dad killed by a bomb, while their grandfather, Maksym, was also wounded and suffered a stroke.

With support from Hope and Homes for Children, Mariia has been able to take care of her three granddaughters. Without their gran, the girls faced being sent to an orphanage miles away.

Halyna Postoliuk, Hope and Homes for Children’s chief social worker in Ukraine, said: “There’s a long way to go, but least this would be one positive outcomes of this terrible war.” 

Hope and Homes for Children patron General Lord Dannatt, former chief of the defence staff who lives in Norfolk, said: "It’s brilliant that this appeal was launched to help these children. People have been incredibly generous. I hope this continues so that Hope and Homes for Children can keep helping the hidden victims of war.”

Please help the charity’s work by texting  UKRAINEAPPEAL to 70460 to donate £10.
Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear more from us, please text UKRAINEAPPEALNOINFO instead.