A dull thud rumbles in the distance. On the football pitch in Oskil, the game stops – for a few seconds, then the children resume playing as if football were the safest thing there is. The Ukrainian town of Oskil lies just a few kilometers from the front line. The exact distance changes with the course of the fighting, but the proximity is always palpable. Amidst this uncertainty, our local partner organization ARTDACHA organizes regular training sessions and matches for mixed teams of boys and girls. The formats are adapted – smaller teams, different age groups – because in times of war, a full team isn't always available.

The small football pitch is an island of normality, a space where laughter, cheers, and shared effort momentarily close the windows to the war. Coaches and volunteers provide not only training plans but also snacks, spare shoes, and—if necessary—evacuation routes. Sometimes the whole village is worried. But time and again, it becomes clear: football here means more than just sport. With the help of our project, girls and boys find respite from the war and experience community and hope.

The football training sessions in Oskil and other frontline areas are part of a broader program that we make possible with the support of the Alliance Development Helps: ARTDACHA offers psychosocial support, creative workshops, sports and educational opportunities, and assistance to evacuated families in the Kharkiv region. Since the project began, more than 3,000 children and young people have participated in the activities.