At this point, it’s all but impossible not to be aware of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And it’s also very well-known that the conflict has compelled millions of Ukrainians to flee their homeland.
But what you may not be aware of is that the United Nations has reported that out of the nearly 3 million people who have fled Ukraine, about half of them are children.
And it’s certainly shocking to hear that over a million children have been displaced, but that statistic also falls in line with with the stories we’ve seen come out of Ukraine. And considering how many families have had to send their little ones to safer places unattended, it’s something of a surprising relief when we hear about the ones who were accompanied by an older family member.
But it would be a mistake to think that these childrens’ stories end once they reach safety. After all, they’ve still been through a life experience that even many adults would consider the hardest they’ve ever had.
And that’s why the work that one troupe of clowns is doing is no laughing matter.
In 2002, a group of professional clowns known as the Dream Doctors started a nonprofit in Israel dedicated to providing therapeutic relief for hospital patients.
But as People reported , they’ve recently arrived in Chisinau, Moldova and are now using their talents to help children in a center for Ukrainian refugees as part of a week-long mission.
A their website puts it, that mission is to provide “vital trauma intervention and innovative therapeutic clowning techniques to children and adults who were forced to flee their homes.”
Considering how scary and heartbreaking the journeys of children fleeing Ukraine have been, it’s hardly a surprise that observers like journalist Andrew Kimmel have considered the clowns’ work so invaluable.
And that’s especially true in cases that have featured kids arriving in Moldova only for one of the Dream Doctors to be the first person they see.
As Kimmel put it in a separate message, “I never thought I’d say this, but the world needs more clowns.”
And while it sounds difficult for the clowns not to feel a little powerless in the face of this humanitarian crisis, they’re focused on doing what they can.
As one of them named Ilia (or “Buzz”) said in one of Kimmel’s videos , “If we can help [people] to share with us what they go through, we can hug them and sit with them, it’s not enough but that’s what we can do.”
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She also said that the nature of their work isn’t necessarily affected by language barriers between them and the children as humor and clowning is a “universal language.”
And alongside the juggling and other clowning acts they’re doing to lift refugee’s spirits, they’re also ensuring that incoming children are comfortable with toys, hand warmers, socks, and blankets.
In the words of another clown named Ariel (or “Slinky”), “All people see back home are maybe a blown building or empty streets. We bring the faces of the actual people who are impacted by all these decisions in war. These smiles and these personal stories make all the difference.”
h/t: People
