“With her there, I felt like I was home again”
Kira, 12, Ukrainian Scout welcomed into Lithuanian Scouting
NSO: Lithuanian Scouts Association
By Knowledge Network – Staff member
Just as she was about to make her Scout promise in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, 12-year-old Kira had to flee Ukraine with her mother. They eventually settled in Šiauliai, Lithuania.
Kira started attending school, and one thought kept returning: Can I join the Scouts here? At her first Scout meeting, she felt nervous—she didn’t speak Lithuanian. But the leaders welcomed her, and one spoke Russian, which helped immensely.
I was very excited to continue my journey in Scouting and felt extremely sad to think it wouldn’t be possible anymore. I loved Scouting.
Kira’s first camp experience was rainy but joyful. “We had a lot of fun,” she said. “We were sad when it ended.” Soon after, she received life-changing news: she was invited to the Baltic Jamboree in the Czech Republic.
The most extraordinary moment came when she spotted someone familiar in the crowd—her old Scout leader from Ukraine: “We hugged and smiled and were full of tears. We were thousands of kilometres away from home and, among 650 Scouts, we found each other. With her there, I felt like I was home again.”
Together, they recreated the ceremony she had missed in Ukraine. Kira finally received her neckerchief and made her Scout promise.
Everything at the Jamboree felt like a dream. I made new friends and met 20 people also from Dnepropetrovsk. We spoke Ukrainian and shared memories from home.
I love Scouting. It helps me forget all the bad things I’ve been through. One day, I’ll return to Ukraine and continue Scouting there.
Today, Kira attends regular Scout meetings and participates in hikes and short camps: “Scouting has an even more special place in my heart now. It’s the only thing that helped me feel safe again.”
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The Knowledge Network – Staff member
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