Smile for the Sake of your Children

June 5, 2022

Marina and her boys came to visit me for the third day in a row. We sat for hours making beaded necklaces and painting. Plenty of Nescafé to go around.

This program is not just for kids. This program is for all ages because everyone has the capacity to imagine. I’m particularly drawn to working with the mothers and grandmothers as they are bearing the burden. They smile, move forward, and model a sense of security for their children. Nobody sees the cracks, but I know those cracks are hidden just below the surface. Most of the women have husbands who have gone to war or are victims of war, and now these mothers must navigate a new language, a new country — all while struggling to obtain food, clothing, and the essential supplies they need to survive.

Imagine yourself doing that? Imagine doing that with a smile on your face for the sake of the children. Marina does this daily, and I was fortunate enough to sit with her today and create, laugh, and imagine.

When I started this program, I had no idea of the community that I would build, and I’m now witnessing the continuing growth of this community. For that reason, I will be returning to the JCC Krakow for the entire month of July.

Lots of work to still be done.

Suzanne Horwich, AGB Founder