Alisa and Liya dream that daddy will come home again
Twin sisters Alisa and Liya were just five years old when Russia invaded Ukraine. They fled with their family to Slovakia and then saw their father return home to fight. Now the family has been reunited in Ukraine. Thanks to the work of Erikshjälpen, Alisa and Liya have the opportunity to get away from the war for a while and process everything they have been through.
Today, Alisa and Liya are seven years old. They like to go to puppet shows with their grandmother, dance and sing in choirs. They also like Erikshjälpen's art therapy. It's a way for the sisters to be creative and at the same time deal with the severe traumas they have experienced since the outbreak of war.
Alisa and Lyia wrote letters to their father who is fighting in the war
They remember being scared when their family fled to Slovakia, scared and sad. And they remember when their father returned to Ukraine to fight against Russia. They wrote him letters telling him how much they loved him.
- Once I wrote a letter to my dad and when he was free I gave it to him. I had written: "Dad, I love you and miss you very much", says Alisa.
Twin sisters Alisa and Liya are seven years old and often participate in Erikshjälpen's art therapy. This gives them an opportunity to be creative while working through severe trauma with professional help
Twin sisters Alisa and Liya are seven years old and often participate in Erikshjälpen's art therapy. This gives them an opportunity to be creative while working through severe trauma with professional help
Sisters remember the outbreak of war
When the war broke out, the whole family had to go through things that no family should have to go through. That no five-year-old should have to experience. Alisa and Liya remember robots flying above them as they fled from Kiev to Slovakia.
- My mom was very scared and we ran to a shelter. Then she was given some medicine so she would no longer be afraid," says Alisa.
My mom was very scared and we ran to a shelter. Then they gave her medicine so she wouldn't be afraid anymore.
Alisa 7 years.
Liya 7 years.
Alisa 7 years.
Liya 7 years.
Life in Kiev is chaotic
Today, the whole family is back in Ukraine. Alisa and Liya are living with their grandmother because their mother is in hospital with their little sister. Meanwhile, the situation in Kiev is chaotic. Air raid sirens sound frequently and they have to quickly get to a shelter or a place in their home without windows.
- I get very scared when the alarm goes off because...," says Alisa.
- Because when the alarm goes off..., Liya tries to fill in,
- Because when the alarm goes off at night, I'm afraid to go to another room all alone. Liya usually doesn't wake up from the alarm and then I have to go alone and I'm afraid of the dark. I'm really scared," says Alisa.
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Alisa and Liya dream about the future
When Alisa and Liya participate in Erikshjälpen's art therapy, they get an opportunity to process their traumas together with professional psychologists. They get a chance to escape the air raid shelters for a while and just focus on being creative. Drawing. Doing crafts. Or singing together. They also get a chance to dream - and there's no doubt about what they want in the future.
- A cat, says Alisa.
- Yes! Liya replies.
- Two cats, says Alisa.
- And that our father will come home again," says Liya.
Give a Christmas gift to children living in war
Author: Johan Larsson
Published: 11 November 2024
Listening