HOPE AMIDST WAR
Two years on, we're supporting the resilience of
children and their families in Ukraine and the region.
Children have now endured two years of loss, bombardment and displacement.
Despite unimaginable hardship, we have seen children from Ukraine demonstrate tremendous resilience.
To safeguard their physical, mental and emotional well-being, Save the Children provides the necessary structures for children and their families to cope during conflict.
Our holistic programming means that we are there for children and their families during every step of recovering from conflict, including restoring their livelihoods, returning to learning and beginning the process of healing.
Together with local partners, we've helped over 2.6 million people, including over 1.1 million children since February 2022 in Ukraine and the region.
Continue scrolling to learn how we're ensuring children and their families remain resilient in the face of tragedy.
Watch our video to hear from Anna, our Child Protection Coordinator in Ukraine, to learn how we're serving children.
CASH ASSISTANCE
Our cash assistance programmes help parents provide for their children
despite displacement and conflict.
Matvii*, 11, Mariia*, 42, Olha*, 17 and Liya*, 7 with their dog Sherry who came with them when they fled war in Ukraine. Photo: Anastasiia Zakhoskina/Save the Children
Matvii*, 11, Mariia*, 42, Olha*, 17 and Liya*, 7 with their dog Sherry who came with them when they fled war in Ukraine. Photo: Anastasiia Zakhoskina/Save the Children
Olha*, 17 and Liya*, 7 with their dog Sherry who fled war with them in Ukraine. Photo: Anastasiia Zakhoskina/Save the Children
Olha*, 17 and Liya*, 7 with their dog Sherry who fled war with them in Ukraine. Photo: Anastasiia Zakhoskina/Save the Children
Research shows that support programmes for caregivers in conflict zones have tremendous benefits for children, helping parents cope with stress and improving children's overall wellbeing.
That's why we're supporting caregivers through our cash assistance programmes to ensure parents get the help they need.
While families register for cash assistance, our teams also link them with other critical programmes, including social work services.
We've helped parents like Mariia*, 42, who lives in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine with her three children and their dog Sherry.
After Mariia and her family fled their home in February 2022, Save the Children provided her with critical cash assistance.
We received financial support from Save the
Children that helped us a lot.
Watch our video to learn how we're supporting families with cash assistance and winterization kits.
DIGITAL LEARNING CENTRES
Together with local partners, these centres
ensure children don't miss out on learning.
Sofiia*, 7, gets support with her homework in a Digital Learning Center in Eastern Poland. Photo: Paul Wu / DEC
Sofiia*, 7, gets support with her homework in a Digital Learning Center in Eastern Poland. Photo: Paul Wu / DEC
Sofiia*, 7, plays with a robot in a Digital Learning Center in Southern Poland. Photo: Paul Wu / DEC
Sofiia*, 7, plays with a robot in a Digital Learning Center in Southern Poland. Photo: Paul Wu / DEC
Recent research commissioned by Save the Children and our partners shows that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children remain out of school in Poland.
That's why we're working to ensure children access uninterrupted and quality education through our Digital Learning Centres.
We have 50 Digital Learning Centres in Poland where children can learn, read, play, attend Polish language classes and receive therapy from trained professionals.
These centres serve children like Sofiia*, 7, who attends a centre in Poland thanks to our local partner FRSI. Sofiia especially enjoys the robotics lessons at the center but she misses her home in Ukraine.
I just want the war to end and that nothing [like this] happens again.
Watch our video to learn how we're using technology in one of our Digital Learning Centres.
CHILD FRIENDLY SPACES
We provide children growing up in conflict
with a safe space to play, learn and heal.
Anna*, 10, and Sofia*, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photo: Save the Children.
Anna*, 10, and Sofia*, 5, play in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photo: Save the Children.
Sofia*, 5, plays with Oleksandra in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photo: Save the Children.
Sofia*, 5, plays with Oleksandra in a Child Friendly Space in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photo: Save the Children.
When children are displaced and forced from their communities, they lose their sense of belonging and identity.
That's just one of the reasons why our Child Friendly Spaces are so crucial. We provide children and communities safe spaces where families can play, learn and express themselves freely. These spaces also provide art therapy and psychosocial support activities.
We've helped children like Anna*, 10, and Sofia*, 5, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine who find some reprieve at their local Child Friendly Space.
I like it [at the centre]. The teachers are very nice here. You can always reach out to them if you do not understand anything.
Watch our video to learn from Anna and Sofia how we've supported their family through our programs.
IMPACT FOR CHILDREN
With a thanks to our local partners in Ukraine and the region, we've supported children and families' long-term resilience.
When families are caught in conflict, we support communities for as long as they need us to recover and rebuild their lives.
We've reached over 350,000 people with cash assistance and other livelihood programmes in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Lithuania.
We've reached over 200,000 through our education activities in Ukraine and across the region, including through 50 Digital Learning Centres in Poland and after-school clubs in Romania and Lithuania.
We’ve reached over 450,000 through our child protection and mental health programmes, including 8 Counseling Hubs in Romania and 56 Child Friendly Spaces across Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.
We will protect the children of Ukraine for as long as they need us.
We know this conflict is far from over and families will need assistance for years to come. Looking ahead, we will provide the necessary help for children and families to remain resilient in the face of conflict.
Photos by Save the Children International | *Name changed for protection
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