A six year old dies.....

...in the Kherson area, and more injured. I was working with 6 year olds today. I can't even begin to imagine the loss. It really breaks my heart that so many children have died. What did he do in his brief life to deserve to be murdered? To die? What sort of person believes that he can, with no compunction, take the lives of others? 
This child has no more days, no choices, no broken heart at first love. No chance to do something amazing. And it goes on....there will be other deaths. Families will mourne. How does this end?

I had the pleasure of working in 3 UNICEF centres today with predominantly young children. With UNICEF workers, who, by and large, are volunteers themselves. Very ordinary games and lessons. A wonderful chaotic game of hopscotch. 

A bite to eat after the last centre, with Anastasia, a woman who works tirelessly for her community to secure aid. Today she distributed the aid I brought....

I wish we could do more. Always. Maybe the sadness is that there is such gratitude in the little we do. It's always more than what we take.

And a thank you to the other people who help and care. Olha, my translator. Vadym, who has created an underground, safe classroom...(needs soft furnishings.)

And then, back in the van to Odesa. I have never really realised how much I need Fiona at my side to help carry out what we do. How much of the load she carries. How we share the work. I was exhausted reaching home. Just saying. It was probably always self evident, but you know what we men are like. We need no one...possibly not the case.

Just one final thought. At the recent Lancashire awards ceremony someone made a comment, that there's now "Ukraine fatigue." No news here, nothing to see. I say, look at the life of a six year old child taken away....tell us that we shouldn't care. Please continue to support if you can. 

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