HOPE AMIDST WAR
Two years on, we're supporting the resiliency 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've seen Ukrainian children demonstrate tremendous resilience.
To safeguard their physical, mental and emotional well-being, we provide the structures necessary for children and their families to cope during conflict.
Our holistic programming means we’re 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.
Scroll below to learn how we're ensuring children and families remain resilient in the face of tragedy.
Watch our video to hear from Anna, our Child Protection Coordinator in Ukraine, about how we're serving children.
CASH ASSISTANCE
Our cash assistance programs help parents provide for their children despite displacement and conflict.
Research shows caregiver support programs in conflict have tremendous benefits for children, helping parents cope with stress and improving children's overall well-being.
That's why we're supporting caregivers through our cash assistance programs to ensure parents get the help they need.
While families register for cash assistance, our teams also link them with other critical programs, 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 helping caregivers through cash assistance.
DIGITAL LEARNING CENTERS
Together with local partners, these centers ensure children don't miss out on quality education.
Recent research commissioned by Save the Children and 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 Centers.
We have 50 Digital Learning Centers in Poland where children can learn, read, play, attend Polish language classes and receive therapy from trained professionals.
These centers serve children like Sofiia*, 7, who attends a center 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 supporting children through our Digital Learning Centers.
CHILD FRIENDLY SPACES
No matter where they are, we provide children growing up in conflict with a safe space to play, learn and heal.
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 center]. 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
Thanks in large part to 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 programs 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 Centers in Poland and after-school clubs in Romania and Lithuania.
We’ve reached over 450,000 through our child protection and mental health programs, 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 | *Name changed for protection
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