"Give our soldiers food and drink and keep them warm when they're cold in the trenches." These are the prayers of seven-year-old Ivan and three-year-old Amelia every night before bed.
In Ukraine, children are burdened by all kinds of fears and hardships. A recent video from Kyiv showed a rocket attack on the city. In short breaks between explosions, an elementary school teacher and a class of children ran to the shelter to the sounds of explosions and panicked shouts.
Amid so much uncertainty and turmoil, getting a good education and having hope for the future can seem impossible.
Andriy, a history and law teacher in lyceum of Rivne and a devoted Christian and minister, said, "Even long before the war, Covid caused a shock to our education system. Teachers had to retrain to implement online learning.
"At that time, online offices and Google classrooms appeared. The positive side was that teachers were ready to switch to online learning when the war started. Unfortunately, a large number of teachers, as well as students, moved abroad.
"From autumn 2022, an online learning algorithm was developed and implemented. Later, when most schools were equipped with bomb shelters, there was a transition to offline learning. Currently, most schools in our region work in offline shifts: a week at home and a week at school. This is because the bomb shelter usually cannot accommodate all the school children.
"The saddest thing is that we're used to it here, in our region where there are no active hostilities, thankfully. As soon as the alarm sounds, the students are already gathered and ready to go to the basement. There's no panic; everyone is serious and silent. We've become accustomed to living in a stressful environment, with air and missile threats sounding day and night.
"Psychologically, it's toughest on the smallest students. They react sharply and don't calm down very easily. It's difficult for them. It is easier for the older pupils. In two and a half years, it's become just a routine part of life."