Every May, Ukrainians celebrate Mother’s Day — an international holiday that honors maternal love, care, and sacrifice. Yet the war, which has already taken thousands of young lives, has turned this celebration into a day of pain for many. For some mothers, this day will never again be filled with joy — they will no longer hear greetings from their children, nor embrace them, because that meeting will never happen. Never.
Thanks to a partnership between the NGO “Raymer Center”, the Charitable Foundation “Pereval”, and the NGO “Harne Misto”, a special event was held for mothers whose sons have died in the war. More than 50 people who had experienced loss gathered in the Raymer Center’s hall. Rain was falling outside, emphasizing the atmosphere of the gathering — solemn, emotional, filled with memories and grief.
Victor, a volunteer from the Pereval Foundation, addressed the mothers with words of gratitude:
“We remember you. We remember that there are such wonderful mothers who raised incredible sons and daughters. They gave their lives so we could be here, living in peace. And we don’t want to just say thank you with words — we want to honor you sincerely.”
Pastor Andriy from a local Zaporizhzhia church drew the audience’s attention to Jesus Christ, who went through death to give people hope. True words of comfort are hard to find in the face of such loss. But God is the source of deep comfort — He understands the pain of every heart.
In the second part of the event, students and teachers from the Berdyansk Music School performed. Despite Berdyansk being currently occupied, a branch of the school operates in Zaporizhzhia, allowing children to continue their studies. They sang touching songs about mothers, and the teachers played Ukrainian national melodies on the saxophone and piano. The hall remained silent — the women listened intently, wiping tears from their eyes.
After the official program, informal conversations continued. Mothers filled out questionnaires about the difficulties they face and how volunteers might support them. Volunteers intend to continue caring for these women and their families, offering practical support to ease their burden, even slightly.
This was an unusual event — one that blended solemnity and remembrance with the painful reality of mothers whose sons have already given their lives for the country, for each of us. “These are the people we need to weep with,” one of the participants simply said. Serving those in grief is never easy. But today, loss is part of life. We must stay close.
