World Refugee Day
Refugees in their own country: Helping families build a future at home
Every year on June 20th, World Refugee Day reminds us of families who have been forced to leave behind homes, work, schools, gardens, churches, and neighbours.
For many Ukrainians, the word “refugee” does not only describe those who’ve been forced to flee across a border. It also describes people who fled danger but remain displaced inside their own country. They are still in Ukraine, but not in the homes and communities they once knew.
Olena knows that pain. She fled from the Luhansk region after her apartment building was hit and her city became dangerous and destroyed. She left with her family in search of safety, but the war followed her in other ways. Her husband went to the front, her daughter’s husband was killed, and her grandson now flinches at loud noises. For families like Olena’s, displacement is not only about where you live. It is about grief, fear and trying to rebuild when everything familiar has been either blown up or torn away.
Read Olena's story here.
Sofiya, a fifth-grader in Ukraine, barely remembers life without war. Her school has a bomb shelter, and when the alarm sounds, students have only minutes to get there. For her, peace means being able to walk outside without fear and study safely.
This is why our work in Ukraine matters so much. Families facing war and displacement need food, clothing, and emergency help. But they also need steady support, trusted relationships and the hope that life can become more stable again.
That support can look like practical care for a displaced family. It can look like encouragement from a local church. It can look like a child going to summer camp and feeling safe again. It can look like a family receiving seeds, tools and training so they can grow food, reduce costs and become stronger where they are.
Viktor and Mariya’s family in Ukraine is one example. They live in a rural community, work hard on the land and are raising a large family. Viktor takes temporary jobs when he can, but regular work is hard to find. Through Mission Without Borders’ family sponsorship program, their family has received food, clothing, footwear, household supplies, school support and Seeds of Hope support to help them grow more of their own food. For them, help is not just a handout. It is a way to build resilience and dignity close to home.
That matters beyond Ukraine too. All across Eastern Europe, poverty and lack of opportunity often push parents to leave their communities, and sometimes their countries, to find work. Many do so out of love for their children. But when parents leave, families can become separated, children can feel forgotten, and desperate people can become more vulnerable to unsafe work and exploitation.
Andreea’s story from Moldova shows the cost of that separation. As a child, both of her parents worked abroad. She was left in the care of relatives and often felt alone. Through Mission Without Borders’ support, she received practical care, encouragement, summer camp opportunities and education support. Today, she is studying multimedia production and building skills for a different future.
Mission Without Borders’ family partnership work is rooted in this simple belief: families should not have to leave home just to have hope.
Through family partnership, local coordinators walk with families over time. They bring food and hygiene support, visit regularly, offer emotional and spiritual care, connect families with local churches, and help parents develop skills, find opportunities and work toward self-sufficiency.
On World Refugee Day, we remember those who have been forced to flee the comfort and safety of home. We also look ahead with hope.
When families are supported in their own communities, children can stay connected to the people and places that give them belonging. Parents can build stability without having to choose between providing for their children and being present with them.
You can help make that possible.
