Four years ago, Hanna and her husband arrived in Luxembourg with little more than a two-month-old baby, a cat, and a suitcase. They had fled Ukraine on the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion, leaving behind their lives and families.
Neither of their hometowns is under Ukrainian control today.
"We didn't know where we were going or what would happen next", she says. After spending a month in Germany with a family who offered them a room, they arrived in Luxembourg, where another stranger opened her home to them.
"She gave us somewhere to stay, clothes, everyday essentials, and even a voucher to buy food for our cat. When you've lost everything, those acts of kindness mean more than words can express", Hanna says.
Today, Hanna is the founder of 'Kids in Luxembourg', a social media community with more than 23,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. She is also the co-founder of KOLO, a Luxembourg-based communications agency focused on social impact.
What began as a way to discover playgrounds, museums, and family-friendly places for her own daughter has grown into a trusted resource for thousands of families across the country.
For Hanna, motherhood and rebuilding a life in Luxembourg have become inseparable. Today, she shares those discoveries with families across the country while continuing to build both her business and her new life.
We spoke to Hanna about motherhood, starting over, and finding hope through community.
I’m Hanna, founder of Kids in Luxembourg and co-founder of KOLO, a communications agency based in Luxembourg. I studied journalism and marketing, and storytelling has always been at the heart of my work. Those skills naturally shape the content I create today.
Unfortunately, the war. My family lost everything because of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We left on the first day of the invasion with our two-month-old baby and our cat, not knowing where we would end up.
Luxembourg gave us the opportunity to rebuild our lives. The kindness we received here is something my family will never forget.
Motherhood gave me a clear purpose. No matter what was happening around us, my husband and I wanted our daughter to feel safe, loved, and free to be a child.
We spent weekends exploring playgrounds, museums, parks, and family events across Luxembourg, creating happy memories together despite everything we,d been through. Those trips eventually inspired 'Kids in Luxembourg'.
At first, I was simply looking for family-friendly places for my own daughter. I realised many other parents were searching for exactly the same information, so I started sharing our discoveries online.
I love discovering hidden gems. Sometimes I get so excited after finding a wonderful place that I stay up late editing a video because I can't wait to share it. Whether it's a canoe rental, a family campsite, or a museum, seeing other families enjoy those places makes all the work worthwhile.
I don't really separate them. When we visit somewhere new, it's first and foremost family time. I'll film a few short clips and then put my phone away. I hope those adventures become happy childhood memories for my daughter.
It's a wonderful place to raise children. I've always felt welcomed and respected here, and I love how international the country is while still holding on to its traditions. It has given my daughter the opportunity to grow up with both her Ukrainian heritage and a multicultural environment.
Give yourself time. Building a new life doesn't happen overnight, and it's normal if it takes a while to feel at home. Don't be afraid to explore, meet people, and ask for help. Luxembourg may be small, but it's full of welcoming communities.
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would lose my home, start over in a new country, and eventually build a community of thousands of families, I would never have believed them. Now I hope to keep growing both KOLO and Kids in Luxembourg. But above all, I want to give my daughter a childhood full of adventure, curiosity, and joy.
