Forty Ukrainian children affected by the war have departed for a two-week rehabilitation program in Italy. The trip took place as part of the Joint Center's humanitarian project Kids at Home UA, which is implemented as part of the President's initiative, Bring Kids Back UA.

The rehabilitation trip was organized for children who were returned to Ukraine after being illegally deported by the russians to the russian federation or the temporarily occupied territories, as well as for children from the families of fallen and missing defenders of Ukraine.

The rehabilitation program for victims of russian aggression is the result of long-standing cooperation between the Joint Center under the SSU and the Holy See in the Vatican, which consistently supports humanitarian initiatives worldwide.

"russia attempted to deprive these children not only of their homes, but also of their sense of security, childhood, and future. Our task is to ensure that upon their return, they receive high-quality psychological support, feel cared for, and have the opportunity to plan for their lives once again. This is exactly why the Joint Center systematically expands the Kids at Home project together with our international partners. We are grateful to the Holy See, the Embassy of Ukraine to the Holy See, and our Italian partners for ensuring this support remains consistent, helping our children believe in themselves, in people, and in their own future once more," noted Andrii Pasternak, Head of the Joint Center under the SSU.

The program involves teenagers from Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kyiv regions.

"For nearly two weeks, the children from Ukraine will undergo psychological rehabilitation, participate in cultural and educational activities, and recover in a safe environment. We believe and are making every possible effort to ensure that every Ukrainian family separated by the war is reunited once again," said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Special Envoy of the Holy See for Ukraine.

Since the launch of the Kids at Home project, the Joint Center under the SSU, in cooperation with the charitable organization GURU FUND, has organized rehabilitation programs for 257 children who experienced occupation, forced displacement, illegal deportation, or the loss of loved ones due to russian aggression.