A group of Ukrainian war refugee orphans brought a new lease of life to one of the many Italian villages struggling with population loss.
In total, 42 girls and boys from an orphanage in the Lviv region, in the far west of Ucrania, moved with 10 companions to the small Fosciandora, a city of just over 500 inhabitants located in the bucolic Toscana.
In a country that has seen its population shrink for more than half a decade, Fosciandora faces a common reality: the exodus of young people, the aging population and the gradual decline in its number of inhabitants.
The village had 610 residents in 2014, but saw that number drop to 567 in 2021, a drop of almost 10%.
However, it is now full of children, something that has not happened for a long time. The little ones have been given shelter in a structure managed by the Sanctuary of Mary Most Holy of the Star, as part of a reception project by the Confederation of Misericórdias of Italy.
Upon hearing the news, the local community quickly mobilized to welcome the Ukrainian children, starting a kind of “solidarity run” to help the orphans, who received footballs, colored pencils, children's books, pies and clothes, among others. items to make them more comfortable in their new home.
The little ones have also started attending daycare or school and were welcomed with posters made by their new classmates. The youngest of the group has less than a year to live, while the oldest are 17-year-old teenagers. All underwent medical examinations and are in good health.
Since the start of the war on February 24, Italy has received more than 87 Ukrainian refugees, including 33 children.
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