Apple bobbing in Kherson

There are many things you might expect to be doing in a war zone. Bobbing for apples is not high on the list of those expectations. But that is what we did with children in two UNICEF centres yesterday, with the sound of artillery shells outside. Children and adults participated. Fiona and I managed to get particularly wet!
Moments of joy on a very sad day for us...

The other wonderful thing - at the first centre we visited, the children had a special present for Fiona. They surrounded her in a close circle, chanting "Ой добре то як" - giving their good feelings to her? It was very moving.

We also handed out bags of sweets and the knitted teddy bears from Wales, which have been delivered to children across Ukraine over the past year, giving pleasure and comfort...

Just as we were about to leave the second UNICEF centre, the air raid siren sounded and the children were shepherded down into the basement that serves as an air raid shelter. This as a constant reminder of the reality of everyday life for these children.

It was also very sad to leave the community leader, Anastasiia, and her daughter. It was an emotional goodbye for Anastasiia, too. She expressed a feeling of abandonment, saying that her community is not considered to be needy enough for humanitarian relief from the government - their apartments are still standing; they haven't been flooded. But, she says, they have to survive, too. She has even been told to get a job! (She had a very good job before the full Russian invasion.) What job, in an almost deserted city that is constantly being shelled? They suggested road sweeping.

We left a really good load of aid for the local community, which was shared out later in the day.

These are photos of some of the many recipients of the fresh fruit and products we brought.

I find the thought of leaving hard and I'm planning to possibly return earlier than planned. I need to get some travel documentation completed first. I'll use this period away to recharge my batteries and hopefully come to some conclusion about the way forward.

A final photo of the day. As we set off early this morning, as the sun was beginning to rise, we were given the most beautiful sunrise. And the sun continues to rise over this amazing country.

A big thank you for the donations that helped us to make this last (for now) aid run to Kherson a really good one. Thank you, also, to all those who have supported us over the past 18 months, whether by donating, by providing us with food, shelter or a vehicle, by sending us supportive text messages, by making comments on our blog or just reading it.
This will not be the last post!

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