Aussie kids sending Magic Hearts to children in Ukraine

As the war between Ukraine and Russia wages on with no end in sight, more than half of Ukraine’s 7 million children have been forced to flee from their homes.

Living in shelters or even on the streets, cold and afraid, these experiences no doubt pose a huge strain on their wellbeing, both physical and mental, as well as their future development.

Many of us want to make a difference and offer our love and support to these children living through the horrors of war.

That’s exactly what the ambitious Magic Hearts for Ukraine Project aims to accomplish, encouraging children all across Australia to participate in sending one million Magic Hearts filled with messages of motivation and care to the affected children of Ukraine. This will remind them that they are still loved and cheered on by the rest of the world. Included with the gifts are copies of a new book The Magic Coat for Ukraine, which gives coping strategies for these young vulnerable people to adapt to the hardships that they currently face.

The organiser for this heartwarming project is The Magic Coat Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the mental wellbeing of children, led by the Director Tom Emery. During the first months of the conflict in Ukraine, Tom traveled to Europe to assist Ukrainians seeking refuge across their borders. Witnessing the severity of the war firsthand, he wanted to aid the Ukrainian children with how they perceive the tragedy of war.

Tom enlisted the help of the Foundation’s CEO, Di Wilcox, to write a Ukrainian edition of Di’s popular book, The Magic Coat: Creating calm, confident and caring kids. This book is about emotional management and recognition for 2-11 year olds. The new book includes a new character called The Magic Heart, which appears on every page and is designed to represent the love and support of people all around the globe towards children, wherever they are.

Ten thousand copies have been printed in Poland and distributed by volunteers in Ukraine, Germany, Poland and other countries. The book is now a guiding hand for parents, teachers and psychologists alike, helping them teach the Ukrainian children about the ways to cope with the damage that war has done.

“I have seen so many people emotionally affected by the atrocities in Eastern Europe wondering how they can do their part. I just knew there had to be a way to establish a connection between these people and the young victims of war, so we started the Magic Heart for Ukraine project,” said Di on the Magic Hearts for Ukraine campaign. “This is just the beginning, and we are desperate for more help so that we can make a difference for an even greater number of children.” 

How can you help?

Every donation, whether a few dollars or a few thousand, counts towards the one million books delivered goal of the Magic Coat Foundation.

To donate, please visit The Magic Coat – Creating Calm, Confident and Caring Kids | Magic Coat and follow The Magic Heart for Ukraine button. 

We also appreciate any support on our Facebook page The Magic Heart for Ukraine | Facebook, where we have shared photos and videos of the Ukrainian children receiving The Magic Coat for Ukraine books. 

100% of the money raised by the campaign will go towards printing costs for the book. 

Send a Magic Heart letter to Ukraine

In addition to producing more books, The Magic Coat Foundation is encouraging children across Australia to create their own Magic Heart and write a message to a child in Ukraine to let them know they care. 

To participate, Magic Hearts can be uploaded via the Magic Heart for Ukraine page at themagiccoat.com Schools and youth organizations are also encouraged to take part, with expressions of interest welcome via email to the following address: mcfadmin@magiccoatfoundation.com.au 

Here is the message Di is sending to the children of Australia on why they should be part of this initiative: https://youtu.be/mFyVARyZsWs

To read more heartwarming pieces like this, have a look at our story about YFoundations!