A family of IDPs from Vinnytsia region created an island of family warmth for ten children during the war
The full-scale war in Ukraine brought millions of personal tragedies and losses, but at the same time it gave birth to thousands of examples of courage, care and self-sacrifice. In this context, the stories of families that not only did not break, but also opened their hearts to others — to those who need it the most — are particularly important. Family-type orphanages are not just a form of alternative education, but a model in which orphans and children deprived of parental care get a chance for a real childhood, without orphanages and indifferent corridors of state institutions. One such family was a family that moved to Vinnytsia from Donetsk region in March 2022 and continued the mission it had begun in peacetime: the creation of a family-type orphanage, which became a new home for ten children.
From Donetsk region to Vinnytsia region: escape from the war and a new life
Olena Kryvohornitsyna with her husband fromfounded DBST still in 2019 in Donetsk region. But a full-scale invasion forced the family to flee. The evacuation was separate: Olena took out five children by train, and her husband – three more by car. At first, the family ended up in the Tyvriv community, where they faced the lack of a school and infrastructure. Then there was Shargorod — but there were no clubs there either, and the road to school was difficult.
Only after moving to the village of Yakushintsi was the family able to feel stability. With a state subsidy, they got a spacious two-story house — the first really suitable space for a large family. It is not just a roof over the head, but a space where children could finally settle in comfort, silence and a sense of home.
Today, ten children are being raised in the Kryvohornitsyn family. As Olena tells, there are four family groups in their family-type orphanage: two with orphans, two with children deprived of parental care. Some children have been removed from their families due to abuse or neglect. An individual approach is developed for each child in the family, because according to Olena, “they are born with a heart, and we are trying to replace both mom and dad.”
Creating DBST for Elena was not a spontaneous decision, but an answer to a call. She was inspired by the example of acquaintances who have already gone this way. At the moment when her biological daughters grew up, she realized that she still had enough strength, warmth and desire to share this with other children. This is how a family appeared, gathering ten children in its circle, each of whom needed more than just a roof over their heads.
Life in a new family: children’s experience
16-year-old Nina Chizhevych has been living in the Kryvogornitsyn family since she was 11 years old. She has been an integral part of this house for more than five years.
“I’ve settled in here, I consider it my family. In two years, I have to leave this family. Sometimes I think: what’s next? Because here I know that my mother is nearby, will help with lessons, will feed me. And then communication will only be by phone.” – admits the girl.
This confession is evidence that a family-type orphanage is not an institution. This is a real family, where a sense of security, attachment, habits of care and communication are formed, which become the foundation for a lifetime.
The example of imitation is also of particular importance. Elena’s biological daughter is already planning to create her own orphanage together with her husband. “I always wanted a big family, my parents inspired us. Now I have many brothers and sisters. And my husband and I also want to give our children warmth, care and family comfort,” says the girl.
This process—transmitting a model of care between generations—is especially important at a time when the child welfare system needs not only resources, but also human example capable of instilling a culture of care, empathy, and responsibility.
In times of war, family-type orphanages are not just a social tool. This is a moral guideline. Where state mechanisms do not always keep up, families like the Kryvogornitsyns close gaps in the protection system, holding on their shoulders what the system sometimes cannot withstand.
Their home is an example of how the power of family can be greater than the power of separation. How personal courage turns into a shared future. How children born with a heart get not only a new name or a room, but also a chance to grow up with the conviction that the world is not only loss, but also love.
