Dr. Pasichnyk with the kids
April 30, 2023
This story is from and about the "Revival" Centre of Rehabilitation in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. They sent us this note that really touched us and we want to share with you.
Dear friends,
We are sending you photos from the charity campaign of packing vegetable seeds into bags for the sowing campaign at the border areas of Chernihiv Oblast, in which the children of our Center also participated.
With love and gratitude,
Vasyl Pasichnyk, Natalia Zenchenko
The city of Chernihiv is very close to the Russian border and was bombed incessantly in March 2022 when the Russians invaded Ukraine. Many died. Civilian housing was destroyed in the city. Half the city fled.
Chernihiv is home to the “Revival” Centre of Disabled Children with whom LifeNets has supported continuously since 1996. Providentially, they sustained no damage even though they are close to the City Centre. They have not only endured the 1986 nuclear disaster of nearby Chernobyl (35 miles), but also the collapse of the economy after the U.S.S.R. So many of our stories about this center on www.lifenets.org/chernobyl have been about our helping them. They have continued to rehabilitate children in the midst of war and are continually taking in new children, many from the war zones. The work of Dr. Pasichnyk and his wife and long-time faithful staff has been phenomenal.
This recent story is about the Center now taking a pro-active position in doing charitable work themselves. They have been given material support from many areas of the world in addition to what LifeNets has done. Now, the staff along with the disabled children want to do their part for their fellow Chernihiv Province neighbors.
Charities have shipped seeds of various garden vegetables. They repackaged the seeds along with loving notes they had personally written and had them distributed to people living closer to the Russian border who are still being shelled and where gunfire is constantly heard. The seeds are fro beets, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and more. They need to plant their gardens now!
Chernihiv itself has been quiet. Not many air raid sirens. In a phone call today with the Centre’s secretary Natalia, she told me that half the people who evacuated Chernihiv have returned. Children are playing in the streets. There are more cars seen on the road. An air of optimism prevails. But, they say that the staff and children in the Centre are growing up quickly in the shadow of the war. It has made them psychologically strong. They are determined to succeed.
We thank you all for your support.
Here are more photos just sent to us of the “work party” in preparing the seed packs for the people in the Chernihiv Province.
