In June last year, with the beginning of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, students of the sports boarding school in Kharkiv and some mothers with their children were warmly welcomed at the Caritas Children’s and Youth Home in close cooperation with the FCE Rheine.
Relieved to have escaped the bombardment of their hometown in the east of the country, they wanted to stay in Germany until the end of the war, and then return to the liberated and pacified Ukraine.
Since Ukraine was and still is extensively supported by the Western countries in the warlike conflict, everyone hoped that the war would be over after a few months.
Unfortunately, however, this hope has not been realized to date. Although the war is essentially concentrated in the east of the country, peace with stable and secure living conditions is still a long way off.
Cities in the interior of the country continue to be bombed, even though something like normality has developed in the western part. Schools reopened with the start of the new school year, and life seems to be back to normal in this part of the country. Whether it is just a deceptive normality cannot be judged from the outside.
It is therefore not surprising that in recent weeks Ukrainian refugees have begun to hope that they will soon be able to return home. In addition, integration into a foreign culture and especially learning a foreign language are extreme challenges, especially if Germany should never become the new home country.
However, by mid-August the decision to return was made and the students of the Kharkiv boarding school for sports left again. Some mothers with their children had already returned to Ukraine in April. It was hard to say goodbye and some tears were shed, because the Ukrainian guests felt very comfortable and well supported at the Caritas Children’s and Youth Home.
What remains is the hope that the war in Ukraine will end quickly and that the country, despite the immense war damage, will find its way back to a peaceful, adequate and secure coexistence.