“Every child deserves moments of joy.” Bringing smiles to Ukraine’s front-line communities
By Sofiia Borysenko
Italian clown Marco Rodari, known as “Claun il Pimpa”, and his troupe Per Far Sorridere il Cielo (To Make the Sky Smile) are bringing hope and healing to children growing up in the chaos of war.
With support from the Relief Coordination Centre, a non-profit organization, and OCHA, Pimpa visits schools and underground shelters in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region, delivering much-needed moments of joy.
Laughter in the shadows of war
Schools in Ukraine operate in bomb shelters in towns and villages near the front lines. Air raid sirens interrupt lessons. Children crouch beneath desks in dark basements. Classrooms and playgrounds lie in ruins.
According to UNICEF, the psychological toll of all this is immense. One in five people in Ukraine has lost a close relative, and many children under age 3 have never known peace. Their parents are physically and emotionally exhausted.
In every corner of the country, one truth endures: war has stolen childhood from millions.
A clown with a mission
In this grim reality, Pimpa offers children a reprieve. Calling himself a “humanitarian clown”, he has performed more than 1,000 shows in conflict zones like Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine, reaching nearly 100,000 children.
In March 2025, Pimpa toured Kharkiv – one of Ukraine’s hardest-hit regions, where residents face relentless air raids, and have suffered more than 1,000 civilian casualties this year. Pimpa and his team transformed bunkers into makeshift stages. Children clapped and giggled as he juggled, blew bubbles and twisted balloons into the shapes of animals.
“Each time, the children’s reactions amazed me,” said Maka Khazalia, Head of OCHA’s office in Kharkiv, who helped coordinate three shows. “Their laughter, their excitement – these moments remind us just how vital joy is, even in the bleakest times.”
Beyond the stage
For Pimpa, clowning is just the beginning. In Izium, a town devastated by air strikes, his team raised funds to rebuild the local library. Once reduced to rubble, , the restored space now hums with the sound of laughter as children get busy with crayons and storybooks.
In Kyiv, the troupe is creating a ‘Library of Wonders’ inside a paediatric oncology hospital. With support from non-governmental organizations Soleterre and Zaporuka, the space will feature books, toys and play areas. Children recovering from illness and war will find comfort and imagination in its corners, even during air raids.“Every child deserves moments of joy – without fear,” Maka added.
The hidden wounds of war
Between February 2022 and May 2025, at least 710 children have died, with more than 2,000 injured – mostly from explosive weapons used in populated areas, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Last year humanitarian organizations reached nearly 2 million children with psychosocial and protection support. Child protection interventions have reached nearly 400,000 people so far this year. But that’s just 19 per cent of those in need.
As of May 2025, only 9 per cent of the requested funding for child protection had been secured. It’s just one of many life-saving programmes now at risk due to brutal funding cuts.
As hostilities continue in Kharkiv and across Ukraine, Pimpa’s performances and storytelling spaces offer more than temporary relief; they help children process trauma, rebuild trust and rediscover joy – one joke, one book, one smile at a time.