Exhibition “Lost Childhood” opened in Accra, Ghana

On 10 September, the Bring Kids Back UA exhibition “Lost Childhood” opened in Accra, Ghana, drawing international attention to Russia’s unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children.

The exhibition brings together paintings by Ukrainian artist Natalia Lisenko and Ghanaian artist Gedelieso Agorsor, alongside documentary photos and drawings by children from the Ukrainian community in Ghana. Together, they show what statistics cannot: every number represents a child with a family, a home, an identity and the right to return.

As of September 2026, Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice has officially confirmed 20,651 cases of deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. Russia does not provide comprehensive information about children under its control and restricts access for international organisations and independent monitors, making it harder to establish their whereabouts and status.

Children under Russian control face propaganda, indoctrination and attempts to erase their Ukrainian identity. Some are subjected to military training and incorporated into militarised youth programmes.

At the opening, Head of Bring Kids Back UA Maksym Maksymov stressed that bringing these children home is not a political concession or an act of goodwill. It is a legal and humanitarian obligation and a shared international responsibility.

“Lost Childhood” calls for stronger international mechanisms to make the forcible transfer of children harder to commit, conceal and repeat. Ghana’s experience in peacebuilding, mediation and multilateral cooperation can help strengthen this work.

The exhibition is organised by the Embassy of Ukraine in Ghana together with Svitanok LBG, with support from the European Union, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and members of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Canada and Ukraine.