Children are suffering and dying in Ukraine as the conflict with the Russian Federation continues. In an exclusive three-part “Saving Children in Trauma” series, Christian Daily International interviewed Mykola Kuleba, “outstanding human rights activist” in the 2023 Magnitsky Human Rights Awards. He is co-founder and head of Save Ukraine, who served as Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights from 2014 until 2021. He was also head of the Kyiv Children’s Service (2006-2014) and co-founded the Ukraine Without Orphans Alliance. In this first of three articles, Kuleba vents his frustrations and hopes for evangelicals in the United States and elsewhere to realize the Biblical imperative to support traumatized Ukrainian children.
Mykola Kuleba is leaning forward tensely with heavy emotion shining in his eyes as he raises his voice in desperation, hoping to be understood.
“I’ve seen in the United States that many people are following a political agenda and they don’t want to open their eyes to the problems of Ukrainian Christians, of families, and children who live in the middle of war, who are suffering every day.”
“And this is our call to action. Let’s think in God’s perspective! Let’s think through God’s heart!”
Kuleba has just returned from a three-week tour of the U.S, talking to churches, church leaders and politicians, in places like Washington DC, New York and Dallas, about the hard realities of the war out of sight for most Americans, across the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
In July, Narendra Modi, Prime minister of India, was seen on public television berating Russian President Vladimir Putin for the suffering of the children in the war, saying that, “when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying.”
There are echoes of this concern in Kuleba as he narrates the very real experiences of thousands of innocent Ukrainian children marked by trauma from the savage invocations of brutality in war.
More than anything, in Kuleba’s view, it is the welfare of children that matters. He despairs that his own offspring have had to learn survival beyond their years with the realities of bombs falling from the sky and running to safety when air raids disrupt school lessons in Kyiv. They are fortunate to have a school with a shelter – some other schools have no such facilities.
“I could send you a video from my son’s bedroom when the air defense system works at night, and it’s almost every night. It’s a huge battle in the air. Russian rockets, Kamikaze drones coming and all of the Ukrainian children hear air raid alarms every day, and they have to go to a bomb shelter or a basement. And many churches and schools have no basements, and these kids are not safe.”
Despite Kuleba’s efforts in supporting children, such as creating network centers in Kyiv to help orphans, he claims to have been marked on President Putin’s so-called “black list” in 2015. He is genuinely puzzled as to why this is so, when all he wants is to keep young people safe and well.
“I’m an enemy of Russia because all my life has been devoted to saving Ukrainian children and because of that, I’m a Nazi! I am an enemy of Russia because they’re against Ukrainian identity. They want to destroy our country and annihilate our identity and that’s why I’m an enemy. But what am I doing bad [sic], except saving children?”
Kuleba is an evangelical Christian and his gospel values shape the Save Ukraine, which he leads. The non governmental organization (NGO) utilizes the largest network in the country for rescuing and rehabilitating Ukrainian children and families, not only from Russian occupied territories but also generally vulnerable youngsters from across the country - those orphaned after parents were killed, or migrant children, or young trafficking victims, or those with disabilities.
A 24/7 telephone hotline is used to make contact with those needing help and to date, some 110,000 children and adults have been rescued from war zones and the charity has distributed aid to 140,000 children and families.
Yet Kuleba has a desperate message to share with evangelicals in the U.S.
He noted during his recent tour of the U.S. that some American Christians were wrapped-up in political agendas as the country heads for a presidential election this Fall, with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris the likely victor.
“In the United States, they’re talking more about political leaders and interests, and less about values,” says Kuleba. “And when you read the Bible, you always read less about human interests, and more about values.”
“When you think through the Bible,” Kuleba tries to articulate, “we talk about how can I follow what God tells me to do, how can we help to save a child’s life, to save and strengthen a family, to help these children survive? Not, ‘I will think about how to serve a political agenda and interests.’ I’ll think more about innocent children who are suffering and could die, and I will think about how I can help.”
Believers and churches are compelled by the love of Christ to show such support, he adds, and there is thus a call of obedience to provide particular help for children suffering in the war, practically demonstrating the gospel “through protecting these children, providing humanitarian support and counseling, and healing their traumas.”
Kuleba pleaded with readers to think from a biblical point of view about the suffering of the Ukrainian children and the need to support them.
“Let’s think with our hearts, not minds about these issues. Let’s think what would happen if it was your own child? What if Russian soldiers came to your house and raped your wife and kidnapped your own child? What will you be doing? What would be your call to action to the churches in the United States or anywhere else?”
Kuleba speaks from experience when he relates stories of suffering in the war. He talks about a mother and son in the occupied territory being stripped naked together, photographed by Russian Armed Forces, and then told the photos would be shared publicly, he alleges, if they did not comply with Kremlin-approved authorities. He also speaks of a Ukrainian wife who, just two days before, told him her husband’s body had been found by a drone on a battlefield. It is unlikely his remains will be recovered for many years, if at all.
“It’s a real war and that’s why many churches provide counseling for children and families. Thousands of children have lost their parents, who were servicemen and women, who disappeared or have been captured.”
Kuleba referred to a case known to him, which he found disturbing, of a mother and her daughter who never speak about the father. He disappeared on the frontline of the battlefields a year ago and the tragic loss has caused a breakdown in communications between the pair. “They don’t know how to talk about this.”
There are “thousands” of such stories in Ukraine and local churches lack the resources or people to deal with it, such as the dire need to provide professional psychological counseling to the traumatized young people.
“Just, just pray for us,” Kuleba pleaded, “Stand with us, and act! Because these actions will help us survive, and not to be killed here.”
Part 2 and 3 of the article will be published in the coming days.
