From 17 September to 5 October, sessions based on the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” programme took place in Kyiv at Preschool Educational Institution No. 721.
Ten children took part — five boys and five girls. During seven sessions, they learned to better understand their emotions, talk about their experiences, and develop practical ways to cope with difficult feelings. According to the trainers’ observations, all ten participants showed improvements in their emotional and psychological well-being.
This particular series of sessions had its own challenges. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the meeting location had to change several times: sessions took place in different rooms, outdoors, and even in a shelter. Yet wherever they met, the children never forgot their little shared ritual — greeting and saying goodbye with a game of “High Five”. It may seem like a small thing, but familiar moments like these help children maintain a sense of connection even when everything around them is changing.
The trainers also shared the story of one of the participants. At first, the girl found it difficult to communicate with other children. She could become upset quickly, withdraw into herself, or avoid interacting with others. Gradually, things began to change. After the sessions, she started joining games more often, responding more calmly to difficult situations, and asking for support when she needed it. She also became more attentive during the sessions, interacted better with her peers, and showed greater trust in adults.
These are the kinds of changes that matter to us. They do not always happen quickly or attract attention, but recovery often begins with small steps — being willing to join a game, ask for help, or respond more calmly to a difficult situation.
This project is implemented by the Charitable Foundation “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” with the support of a grant from the Children’s Resilience Fund: Providing Capacity Building and Funding to Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations in Ukraine.
The programme is implemented by Crown Agents Ukraine and Integrity Action.
The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of Integrity Action and Crown Agents in Ukraine.
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