A chance for new life to take root

The identity of Ukrainians runs so much deeper than the scars of their country’s suffering. What if it could be raised to the surface and given the chance to grow again?

Living in a small rural village in Ukraine, Mariya and Viktor have seen the land shift and grow with each season. Now, they long for its life to return.

“The land is the main source of life for us. We cultivate large plots and grow vegetables, grain, crops, and keep livestock. We keep a cow, pigs, geese, and chickens. The harvest and all the products we grow serve to feed the family and the animals,” said Mariya.

Mariya and Viktor have seven children together, with another baby on the way. In this part of Ukraine, religious tradition and small-scale farming systems mean that large, close-knit families are common. Each child has grown up joining their family’s daily work, and their parents cherish them deeply. Together they are active in the life of their church, visit other communities and help the elderly. Every evening, they pray together and share how the day went. Their household is simple but rich in love, unity, and faith in God.

“My husband and the father of this family is a hardworking, simple, kind and thoughtful man,” said Mariya. “He is a deacon in our church. He doesn’t have official employment, but he tries to earn money through temporary jobs to provide for the essentials: to pay for medical needs, buy clothes for the children, or everyday necessities.”

Mariya's children join in with the family's gardening

Ukraine's agricultural life weakened by the war

But since the war began in 2022, Ukraine’s deeply agricultural culture has been stripped of the life it once had. Once known as the breadbasket of Europe for its rich black soil, Ukraine’s land struggles to recover from destruction, and the country’s exports have been disrupted. Amid rising food costs, families who already depended on the land to make ends meet have lost connection to both their culture and livelihood.

Unfortunately, more than a third of rural households have experienced a significant decrease in income, and an estimated five million Ukrainians are facing food insecurity. Thankfully, through Mission Without Borders’ Family Sponsorship program, Mariya and Viktor have received household products, school supplies, clothing, and other support that they would otherwise struggle to cover, despite Viktor’s hard work. But on top of this, a vital part of rebuilding a strong foundation for their family’s livelihood has been the Seeds of Hope program.

Seeds to support Ukraine's families

As the war drives food prices higher, growing vegetables has become, for many families, the only way to secure a steady source of enough nutritious food. Rural households like Mariya and Viktor’s have the willingness to cultivate their land, but the rising cost of seeds has made it impossible for many to plant sufficient gardens to feed their families.

Seeds of Hope means that families can receive 17 varieties of quality vegetable seeds. From this, fresh produce can be grown from early spring through autumn, and surplus harvests can be preserved for the winter, so that healthy meals can be enjoyed throughout the year. It also means that they can live in connection to the agricultural culture of Ukraine, growing in their gifts and wearing them with pride.

Seed packets for families to grow

When families can grow their own seeds in the midst of war, it restores self-reliance, dignity, and hope at a time when every harvest matters.

From one seed can grow a multitude of opportunities and blessings, and you can be a part of it.