You may remember the story of Yulia*, one of the first children to attend Novi’s play therapy events in October. Oddny Gumaer wrote her story on Christmas day as bombs were falling on her hometown of Kyiv. She is why Novi is in Ukraine. Not only is she suffering the circumstances of caregiver addiction, poverty and dysfunctional family life, she is also living through the triggering dangers of conventional warfare. Yulia is nine years old. Yesterday, as 122 more missiles came down all over Ukriane, she spent the day at the community center supported by the Novi community. The daily comfort of the center and refuge it has become for Yulia are a direct result of your support.
She made Christmas cookies, was warm, thanks to a purring generator behind the building, and was surrounded by kids her age making the most of a day punctured by air raid sirens and the fearful thought that maybe one of those missiles will land on her.
Thank you for pitching in to help Yulia and some of the 7.5 million children spending their days in bomb shelters all over Ukraine today. Before the calendar flips to 2023, would you do one more thing for Yulia?
In January, our team psychologist will train two more groups of adults to work with children reacting to the war and the trauma it creates. He will also do two workshops of play therapy for the adults to practice what they’ve learned and help the kids in their towns. Yulia will be part of this.
In one simple story you understand why Novi does what we do. Helping the youngest victims of war is our white-hot core. Yulia embodies is our why.
Novi is a relatively new as an organization, even though our team members bring 30 years of experience working with children in war zones. Being new means that our reach in media is limited. As a year-end appeal, I’m asking you to help spread the word about the Novi community.
Please consider re-posting this message along with an invitation for all of your social media friends to follow Novi on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Send this link to our web site so people can subscribe to monthly updates (one story-based email per month, except this month there are two.)
In 2023, we have a goal to get Novi Life Kits into the bomb shelters, community centers, and temporary housing to help children surviving the war. 7.5 million children in Ukraine need this tool. Read about it here.
Please hear my sincere gratitude for standing with the children of war to work for a peaceful tomorrow. Thanks for joining Yulia, children in war zones, and Novi.
Happy New Year!
*Name changed to protect identity.
