A mirror image full of hope

"I am beautiful. I am valuable. I have many wonderful things ahead of me." With this simple but powerful affirmation, the team from SOS Children's Villages Ukraine strengthens the self-esteem of girls who have been injured by war. "We wanted girls who have experienced trauma to look in the mirror and say these words to themselves," explains Olha Yudina, head of the children's rehabilitation project.

In July 2025, the team organized a beauty day for five girls: outfit selection with stylists, support from hairdressers and make-up artists and support from psychologists who listen to the girls and their parents and empower them through conversations.

The aim was to make it tangible that beauty begins with self-esteem and inner confidence. Regardless of how the life story started, good things can lie ahead. The positive change in the girls' appearance at the end of the day showed that empowerment works.

This project is a powerful example of how psychosocial support gives hope and changes lives.