Life isn’t always easy, especially for a girl living in a conflict zone. Elena’s house was not far from one of the military units in the Donbass area.

Sometimes life can be really tough. Especially in Transnistria , a disputed territory between Moldova and Ukraine. It has been really hard for the Ciobanu family.

One of the projects that is very close to our hearts here at ChildAid is the abandoned babies program.

Bianca suffers from Spina Bifida and paraparesis (loss of voluntary motor function in the pelvic limbs) she does need regular assistance with her catheter – an expense which the family has to cover. Her catheter has to be maintained and checked every day.

This is the story of Anna. A child that was long waited. Her mother wanted so much to have her own child. After 15 years of waiting Anna was born.

There are more than 100,000 children living in orphanages in Ukraine. In most cases orphans are abandoned by their own family due to lack of finances to support them, however, other reasons include alcoholism, abuse, crime illness, and poor medical health.

This is the story of Brigitte. She was born in a Roma community 15 years ago. She was just a baby when her mother sold her for just £4. From a young age, she learned to steal and dance. The plan was to work in brothels.

Irina by the age of 2 found herself abandoned by her father due to the stigma which sadly resides within Belarus around having a disabled child.

Poverty plagues Ukraine. The M.V. Ptukha Institute of Demography and Social Surveys reported that in 2016 nearly 60% of the population were living below the poverty line – a massive increase from the 28% reported in 2015.

Swimming can often be a struggle for survival against drowning, fighting against a current constantly trying to drag you backwards.

In Ukraine children are highly vulnerable to domestic abuse. A survey done by UNICEF reported that in one month alone 61.2% of children aged 2-14 received at least one form of psychological or physical punishment from an adult.

The saying goes that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

In Belarusian society disabled citizens are often refused the ability to work. Instead they are left to be invisible, unable to make their mark on the world.

Transnistria, a self-governing region of Moldova which proclaimed its independence in 1991, is not officially recognised by the UN as existing.