Residents of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine have been subjected to a siege by Russian forces for weeks while their city is under relentless bombardment.
Most of the time was spent in underground bunkers with no electricity, no gas, little food and water.
Tens of thousands have already fled, and in Ukraine they share their stories of survival and dramatic escape from the cities they found shelter.
But how do your children cope with the horrors of war?
Psychologist Hanna Chasovnykova helps families fleeing Mariupol in Dnipro, central Ukraine. In art therapy sessions, children are instructed to draw things they see in their town.
“When children have painful experiences, they often paint in dark colors. Most of the drawings are just black,” she says.
“This eight-year-old girl saw how the tank blew up and destroyed her grandmother’s house. Part of the exercise was to think about making the drawings more colorful and making them more cheerful. So she added the grass and the sun. The tank looks good, she painted the Ukrainian flag” says Chasovnykova.
“In the case of a nine-year-old boy, the family spent a lot of time in a basement. He was afraid of bombs and rockets. He had no food, so his main concern was food. At first, the basket was empty, then he added the sun, grass, and flowers and turned the planes into birds that dropped eggs from the sky. “
“He also added pirizhky [um pão ucraniano] This basket. He was bringing bread to his inseparable grandmother. Mariupol. If you look at the way they draw their eyes, you’ll see they’re big, which is a sign of fear.”
“This 11-year-old girl was injured in the head and hand by shrapnel after the bomb attack. She is now afraid to go out because she thinks a bomb will fall from the sky. She is also afraid of loud noises. Friends died in Mariupol.”
“The family of this seven-year-old boy could not go Mariupol for a long time. When they finally escaped, he saw many houses burn. Then he drew an X over a rocket and water falling from the sky.”
source: Noticias
