Firstly, that I am truly privileged to be serving as trustee for Dnipro Hope Mission (DHM) and to be standing alongside our partners who are all ‘inspirational’ – like Margarita. In a very practical way, DHM shows Ukraine and Ukrainian people that they have not been forgotten and that they are loved and cared for. DHM is a Christian charity, and we believe our partners are the ‘hands and feet of Jesus’ dedicated to saving lives in Ukraine and to restoring hope and dignity to Ukrainian people impacted by poverty, disease and war.

Secondly, I am so thankful for all DHM’s friends and supporters; all those who pray, fundraise and give – without your prayers and generosity, none of this would be possible.

Thirdly, I was inspired and will never forget all the mothers I spoke to – Natalia and Ira, whose stories I have told in the previous posts; Lena, who is dedicated to helping mothers who have children with special needs and disabilities, inspired by her nephew who has autism; and Anna, my dedicated and lovely translator.  Also Galina, whose young son Andrei said that meeting people from the UK ‘was the best day of my life’ – we enjoyed so many interesting conversations with you; Lisa, the mother of the youngest child on the project – your excellent English made us feel very ‘at home’; Katya, thank you for sharing your story. You are a great champion for your son who has autism – we hope and pray for a great future for him and all the children. There were others too – I remember faces but not so many names. Thank you!

For all the mothers it was clear that the safety of their children was their priority – that their children would not hear the bombs and shells, that they would be able to sleep safely in their beds and that they can experience peace, joy and happiness even in this most terrible of times. The mothers may be powerless to stop the war, but they were creating stable environments and acting as a ‘protective shield,’ so their children recover quickly from their trauma and hardship. Thanks to the vision and hard work of Margarita and the Equilibrium project for bringing everyone together – the project provides so many positive therapeutic experiences; models caring relationships; provides connections to spirituality and morality and supports both children and their parents.

Fourthly, I learnt more about the importance of community and building communities of hope where people are moved to care about each other and build a better future. I hope and pray that this community and communities like it would grow, and more mothers and children (and vulnerable adults such as wounded soldiers) could receive such support. 

Lastly, but certainly not least, a special thanks to my fellow travellers and friends, Helen and Hannah. Without your friendship, IT skills, language and wise counsel, I would have been lost (sometimes literally!) Our trip was self-funded and we are very grateful to some special supporters who raised additional funds which DHM’s treasurer, Reg, has been able to send to Margarita.

This blog was written by Melanie Gray, DHM trustee who was in Ukraine with fellow trustee Helen and her daughter Hannah, visiting Margarita and the Equilibrium Project from July 26th – August 5th 2024.

If you would like to support DHM partners who are working round the clock to provide humanitarian relief to front line and internally displaced communities, please donate either through Stewardship or through a standing order or one-off payment to the DHM account:
Sort Code: 30-90-91 / Account Number: 68149860
Account Name: Dnipro Hope Mission
Bank Name: Lloyds Bank