At the end of August, just before the start of the new school year, almost 40 Ukrainian children were given a good quality school backpack, filled with all the necessary school supplies. This was only possible because of faithful support from the friends and partners of David Hathaway's Ministry.

Working with Philadelphia Pentecostal Church in Kiev, these gifts were distributed to children displaced by the armed conflict in East Ukraine. Having seen and experienced violence and hatred, these children, and many others like them, are being cared for by Christian groups throughout Kiev, who show them the love of God in practical and simple ways.

According to Save the Children

'The conflict, on Europe's doorstep, has destroyed or damaged an average of two schools every week for the past four years, and disrupted the education of more than 600,000 children. More than 84 percent of schools in some areas are now in need of repairs and reconstruction, according to latest assessments.

'Areas where children used to play and learn are now littered with landmines and unexploded ordnances, killing and injuring dozens of children a year who are risking their lives to go to school. Eastern Ukraine is now one of the most mine-contaminated places on the planet

'More than 100,000 children living along the 'contact line' – a 500-kilometre strip of land dividing government and non-government controlled areas where fighting is most fierce – are especially vulnerable. Thousands of these children have to shelter in bunkers to escape regular shelling, and more than a quarter of the children suffer psychological impacts such as frequent nightmares and panic attacks, according to UNICEF.'