At the very beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine…
At the very beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Andrii lived through not only fear and panic but also a heavy loss: in March 2022 his stepfather was killed in the fighting near Kyiv. The grief hit Andrii’s mother hard – she barely had the strength to cope with her own pain, and had nothing left to give her son.
Things at home only got worse. Constant shouting and hysterics filled his days. Andrii became nervous, aggressive and impatient; he withdrew into himself, started running away from home, drinking and smoking. The worst moment came when, during a row with his mum, he picked up a knife and began making threats.
At the camp we met a tall, well-built boy who always wore his stepfather’s military uniform. At times he was short-tempered and abrupt; he was always tired, couldn’t sleep at night, stayed silent and kept to himself. Behind all this lay deep stress built up over the war. We stayed kind, didn’t ask him to be anyone other than who he was, and gently drew him into small-group sessions. Over time, a side of Andrii began to emerge that his pain had never given room before.
Andrii started taking part in a theatre production, making friends with other teenagers and telling stories about his clay sculptures. He gave his sculpture mentor a touching and meaningful gift – his late stepfather’s military patch and T-shirt. It was a profound gesture of trust.
Even more striking were the changes that lasted after the camp. His mum says that for the first time in a long while Andrii let her hug him – and not only that, he reached out for affection himself. He started helping around the house, walking the dog in the evenings and playing with his little sister.
“It’s as if he’s warmed up… You know, you were like a little family there. I never thought the people around you could matter so much. But Andrii came back from the camp knowing that life can be different – he saw that there’s another way to connect with people.”
Now he and his mum are much closer: they go for walks together, talk about life and go on short hikes, something Andrii was inspired to do at the camp. He recently enrolled at a military college – his choice, so that he can be worthy of his stepfather.