When I was working with children in Kyiv, I often thought that I would miss our little school, Dosvitnia Zoria, for the rest of my life. There, within the walls of that Christian school, I saw children's hearts open up to God, as they learned to love Ukraine, prayer, and song. And indeed, when I moved to California, the first thing I missed was that sincere Ukrainian atmosphere, where language, faith, and culture merge into one.

Over time, I realized that God has a plan for everything. Perhaps here, among the children of Ukrainian families in California, I can do something important — help them not to lose their roots. Even in a new environment, surrounded by the English language and American culture, there is something familiar shining in the children's eyes — the light of Ukraine.

Working with children overseas, I see how each of them has their own story, their own world, and their own love for their homeland. When they sing “Podolyanochka” or “Vyidy, vyidy, soniachko” (Come out, come out, sun), not always pronouncing the words correctly, I still feel that their hearts understand. The song awakens something deep and inexpressibly close. The same is true in art classes: when children draw sunflowers or create ornaments, I see how, through colors, they touch their land, their home. Art becomes a bridge between two worlds — Ukraine and America.

A child's heart is always open to sincerity. Sometimes during class, they tell their stories. Someone recalls how war came to their home. Someone misses their grandmother or grandfather who stayed in Ukraine. There is a girl whose father died. A boy once said sadly, “I want to live in Ukraine.”

However, the words of a little student named Meliska stayed in my heart the most:

“Our defenders are protecting our home.”

These simple words contain the whole truth that we adults often cannot express. Because for a child, home is not just walls. It is a place where the Ukrainian language is spoken, where songs are sung, where the heart feels love and security.

I am grateful to everyone who helps create a Ukrainian space for children overseas — the teams at Sunflower Kids, Roseville Kids Corporation, Happy Kids Day Care, as well as all the educational and creative centers of the Ukrainian community in Sacramento. They didn't just open their doors to our children — they opened the way to language, culture, and love for their homeland. Here, children can hear Ukrainian words, feel the warmth of familiar songs, and see that they are not alone.

Life in America gives our children a double blessing: they discover a new world, develop, dream, and speak English fluently — and at the same time carry Ukrainian words, songs, and prayers in their hearts. This is what makes them special.

Because Ukrainian identity is not a document or a flag.

It is the voice a child sings along with in music class.

It is a drawing of a sunflower on a white sheet of paper.

It is a fairy tale that a mother reads before bedtime.

It is the faith that lives in the heart — even when you are far from home.

And as long as we pass these values on to our children, Ukraine lives on.

In every child's smile, in every song, in every ray of light that crosses the ocean.

That is why, on another continent, far from home, it is so important to support Ukrainian spaces — places where the native language is spoken, where children grow up loving their people, their songs, and God.

Because language is not just a means of communication.

It is the home where the soul of a people lives.