One year ago, Svetlana arrived at Father’s House in Kyiv carrying the weight of more loss than any mother should have to bear.

She was a widow, a mother of six, evacuated from war-torn Kramatorsk with four of her younger children. After the death of her husband and the abandonment by the father of her youngest child, she was left to face life alone in the middle of a country at war.

By the time she came to Father’s House, fear had settled deeply over her family.

Her children were withdrawn and unsure. They had lived through disruption, trauma, and the kind of uncertainty that gradually takes childhood away. They needed more than a safe place to sleep. They needed people who would see them, love them, teach them, and help them believe that life could still become good again.

That is what Father’s House became.

Through the Restored Life program, Svetlana and her children found safety, structure, friendship, and faith. Slowly, the children began to open up. Smiles returned. Laughter returned. The ordinary rhythms of childhood began to come back, school, meals, play, learning, and the simple joy of being cared for.

For Svetlana, the change became deeply personal. She encountered the love of Jesus, was baptized, and began drawing strength from the Lord in a new way. She also found work at a local public school, a meaningful step toward independence and stability for her family.

Years of interrupted schooling, displacement, and survival had left him far behind. For a boy his age, that carried a heavy shame. Roma became quiet and withdrawn, avoiding situations where someone might notice what he could not do.

But his story did not end there.

Before Father’s House opened its new school, they arranged six months of individual tutoring for Roma. Week by week, with patience and care, his teacher helped him build not only reading skills, but confidence.

Then one day, something beautiful happened.

Roma invited the team into his classroom, opened a book, and began to read aloud. His voice trembled. His words stumbled. But he kept going.

And in that moment, it was not about perfection.

It was about courage.

At thirteen years old, Roma can now read. He can stand shoulder to shoulder with his peers. He can begin to imagine a future that no longer feels closed off to him.

This is what I love about Father’s House.

They do not simply rescue families from crisis and move on. They stay. They walk with them. They help rebuild what war, loss, poverty, and abandonment have tried to destroy.

This summer, Svetlana and her children were able to take a restorative trip to the mountains, a time of peace and joy together as a family. The contrast is hard to miss, a mother and children who once arrived frightened and uncertain now finding laughter, faith, and hope again.

Their journey is not finished. Father’s House has extended their stay in the Restored Life program for another year, giving Svetlana and her children more time to heal, grow, and prepare for independent living.

But already, their story is a testimony.

A mother found strength.

Children found safety.

A boy found his voice.

And a family that arrived carrying fear is now walking toward a future shaped by hope, courage, and the steady love of God through the people of Father’s House.

About Father’s House — Kyiv, Ukraine
Father’s House is a Christian ministry in Kyiv that has been serving vulnerable children and families since the 1990s. Founded by Roman Korniyko, the ministry began as a refuge for children rescued from the streets and abusive environments, providing rehabilitation, counseling, and a path into loving families.

Today, under the leadership of the next generation, Father’s House continues its mission through programs like Restored Life, serving families displaced and devastated by the war in Ukraine. By offering a holistic approach, spiritual, emotional, and physical care, they walk alongside families as they heal, rebuild, and move toward independent life.

At its core, Father’s House exists to live out a simple calling: to love God and love people, restoring lives one family at a time.

To learn more about Father’s House and their work, visit: http://www.o-dim.com/en/

About Capturing Grace
Discover the story behind Capturing Grace and how my daughter Christina’s life continues to inspire this work at capturinggrace.org/about-us.