The training project for the group of “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” trainers ended on June 10, 2023. The project consisted of three stages – training, practice, and certification. “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training took place in March this year and lasted for three days. After the training the participants gathered groups of children and parents and conducted “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses. They taught them self-help techniques in conditions of war and constant stress. Almost all participants noted the effectiveness of the program and good results in processing traumatic experience in the groups.

And finally all trainers who were able to complete the training and practice have received the certificates. They met on June 10 to share their experience and implressions, discuss the difficulties and ways of handling them, to congratulate each other with the completion of the project. “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project manager Ira Sukhova and Vinnytsia group coordinator Khrystyna Kravchenko handed out the certificates.

We are grateful to Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) for financial support of the project.

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On June 09, 2023, tne new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program received the certificates in Kyiv. The participants of the training held in February have worked for over two months with children and parents’ groups, received supervision from experience project supervisors, gained practical experience and have received certificates. During the meeting the new trainers shared their insights and impressions about the groups, what they taught and what they themselves learned in the process.

They discussed implementation of the program for different age groups and specifics of the online and offline, shared lifehacks of the trainer’s work. Trainers from Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region joined the event in Kyiv distantly. We are thankful to the group coordinator Olena Dorohavtseva, project supervisors Ira Sukhova, Natalia Podoliak, Olena Bozhor, and Tetiana Oboyanska for support.

Training, therapy groups and certification of trainers was conducted within the frames of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project with financial support of Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF).

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The first shift of the “Karamel” summer children’s camp has started in Kyiv region on May 27, 2023. Children from all over Ukraine came to rest and recover. The program of the camp is interesting and busy – games, contests, creative master-classes. Along with the entertaining activities 15 children from the camp have learned techniques of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” psychological self-help.
Sometimes during air sirens children had to go to the shelter. And they already knew what to do, how to calm themselves down, how to cope with their fears, what to do with negative thoughts and anxiety. Therapy sessions were conducted by the program trainers, Daria Tretiak and Marharyta Poliakova, students of Volyn National Lesia Ukrainka University.
On behalf of the “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” and the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project we express sincere gratitude to “Karamel” training project for the long-term cooperation and reliability. We wish a resourceful summer to our partners and great leisure time to young Ukrainians.

We are sincerely grateful to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) for the financial support of our project!

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During March-May, trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project conducted “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses in Khmelnytskyi and Rivne regions. Larysa Sushko and Tetiana Solovei worked with the participants in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. Olena Lysianska and Tetiana Drabych worked in Berezne, Rivne region. Trainers taught children techniques of psychological self-help and recovery in conditions of stress.

We are sincerely grateful to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) for the financial support of our project.

We share one of the many stories of children who attend “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions to heal their souls, receive support from trainers and peers, learn to process their pain, overcome sadness, fears, obsessive thoughts and memoirs.

Ivan is 16 years old. Before the war, he lived in Selydove, Donetsk region, with his mother, father and younger brother. He loves sports and is training to become a professional boxer. At one session, Ivan shared his experiences with the trainers and group members: “My father went to protect us when the war started. I am very proud of him, but also very worried about him, especially when he does not write or contact me for days. I know that he is strong and courageous, that he will survive, I believe in him. My mother also believes, but often cries. We support her as much as we can. I continue to study and renew my training schedule so that I don’t lose shape. I am preparing for the competition that will take place in autumn; it is very important for me.” During the sessions, it was noticeable that Ivan has a strong connection with his father and worries about his health and safety. When children were creating amulets from air dry clay, Ivan sculpted the figure of his father, a warrior-protector, as a symbol of his support. And when they did the “Safe place” exercise, he drew his house and his dad, who came home alive and healthy.

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“Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions have been held in spring in Dnipro, Odesa cities and Vinnytsia region within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project. Trainers of the program, Alina Sheina and Olena Kichuk (Dnipro), Olga Kizilova and Sofia Kolbasina (Odesa), Oksana Tereshchuk and Svitlana Yurchuk (Tulchyn, Vinnytsia region) worked with groups of participants. They helped children to develop and master skills of coping with their traumatic experiences, using self-help, relaxation and recovery techniques in present conditions of war-related stress.

Nowadays, many children in Ukraine have suffered from the full-scale armed aggression of the rf, live in difficult conditions and need psycho-emotional support. It is difficult even to imagine how many children lost their loved ones or homes during the war, about children who sleep in bomb shelters, live amid the sounds of constant sirens in anxiety and fear for themselves and their relatives, or who were forced to leave for other countries, leaving behind their schools, friends and the normal life. “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program is effective for processing and dealing with such traumatic experiences.

We are sincerely grateful to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) for the financial support of our project.

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On May 9-10, 2023 Iryna Sukhova and Tetyana Oboyanska, psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project held a 2-day online “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training in cooperation with the project “TOGETHER. Social services” for practical psychologists, teachers and specialists in the social sphere. 26 participants from Chernivtsi, Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Zolotonosha, Pavlograd and other cities of Ukraine participated in the training. They have learned how to overcome stress, fears, pain, and obsessive memories using the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” method. Now the new trainers will share their experience and help children and parents who suffered during the war in Ukraine. They will conduct therapy sessions for those who survived the occupation, lost loved ones or homes, experienced a lot of pain and difficult war related experiences.

The “TOGETHER” project is implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a consortium of partner organizations: “Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights”, “Every Child” Partnership, “SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine”, “Social Synergy”, “Dnipro League of Social Workers” and NGO “Class”.

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On May 3-5, 2023, the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project trainers took part in a specialized online workshop “Children and Grief: Teaching Life Skills”. The workshop was held as part of professional development program for trainers in cooperation with the “Children and War” foundation with the support of Canadian partners. It was conducted by the international trainers David Trickey and Melinda Edwards.

This workshop is focused on teaching trainers working with children and adults who have survived traumatic experiences related to the war against Ukraine to help them cope with the grief of losing loved ones. Many children and adults are currently experiencing the loss of their loved ones due to the war against Ukraine, many of them have witnessed death. The workshop, along with a specially designed manual, offers skills to help cope with traumatic reactions after the loss of loved ones.

Loss trauma usually includes intrusive thoughts and feelings such as bad memories, nightmares, and flashbacks related to the death. They often interfere with the normal grieving process and are so painful that children try to avoid them. With the help of the “Children and Grief: Teaching Life Skills” manual and training, children and adults can gain skills to control these memories and learn to relax the tense body and release the sadness they feel in their body. In addition, they learn coping skills that can help them to cope with the loss over time. It is especially effective to conduct therapy sessions in small groups in the atmosphere of trust and empathy. This allows children to see that their reactions to grief are common, and group techniques provide mutual support.

Feedback from trainers-participants:

Vyacheslav:
In general, the new program is a breakthrough in design (as it is constructed), modern terms and design. It is important that work on the identification of emotions and their regulation appeared. In my opinion, it is a very important tool for Ukrainians at this time. It was also nice to see and get to know my colleagues better, hearing their experience is also very valuable.

Olena:
I am very grateful for the invitation and opportunity to participate in such thorough workshop. Indeed, the program resonates with the program “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques”, which we are working on in the project. However, it is different. I hope my personal experience will be useful in mastering the new program. Interactive exercises were great. It is very valuable that we are not only being taught, but the trainers also were learning from us. I am waiting for the opportunity to use my new knowledge in practice.

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“HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Charity Foundation became one of 63 Ukrainian non-governmental organizations that received funding from the OutcomesX social outcomes marketplace. in Cooperation with OutcomesX, UBS Optimus Foundation will provide funding in the amount of $2 million directly to local NGOs in Ukraine that are providing education and mental health services to children in-country.

By the end of 2023 with the support of the OutcomeX “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” will conduct psychological therapy groups “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” for near 1500 children affected by war against Ukraine. It is expected that the participants of the therapy sessions will improve their psychological state and learn the psychological self-help techniques.

OutcomesX is a first-of-its-kind social outcomes marketplace, established amid recent studies revealing that red tape is preventing Ukrainian nonprofits from accessing relief funds to help those in need. Its mission is to transform social impact into an asset that impact investors, corporations and philanthropy can purchase from vetted nonprofits and social enterprises.

Check out the official media release to learn more about OutcomeX and its cooperation with Ukrainian organisations.

On April 24-28, 2023, “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” online training was held for psychologists, teachers, social workers, and volunteers. The training brought together 50 participants from Kharkiv, Kryvy Rih, Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Myrhorod, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Lviv, Ovruch, Kolomyia, as well as from Sweden, the Netherlands and Romania. All of them plan to conduct groups sessions for children and parents affected by war against Ukraine using this effective methodology, and will teach them self-help techniques to overcome stress, fears, anxiety, pain and loss. The psychologists from the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project of the Charity Foundation “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Nataliya Podolyak and Olena Bozhor conducted the training.

We are sincerely grateful to the “Salvation Army” for the support of our project!

Feedback from participants:
Alyona Suprun, teacher (Zaporizhia): “During the training, I discovered many interesting techniques and found out some hidden problems in myself, but thanks to the new knowledge, I can now work them through”.

Liudmyla Bahdasarova, psychologist, teacher (Bila Tserkva): “Everything is clear, structured, professional. I am already eager to work with my colleague and co-trainer”.

Nataliya Serhiyenko, psychologist (Zhytomyr): “Information is very interesting and accessible. Thank you for the manual, techniques, and visual materials!”

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Recently, an 8-year-old girl attended one of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses. At the beginning of the war, she lived with her parents and little brother in a small town in Kyiv region, which was occupied. When it became extremely dangerous and the whole family decided to leave the occupied territory, she heard the following words from her parents: “If we are killed, take your brother and do whatever you can to save yourselves. And if you can’t take him, just save yourself.”
All this time, the girl kept these words and memories to herself and did not tell anyone about it. At the first therapy session in a circle with other participants (children of primary school age) and trainers, in an atmosphere of trust, love and acceptance, she managed to talk about this situation and cry. After this she said: “I feel better. I will continue to work with you.” And she did. She really processed this horrible memory, and not only this one…

This is just one story. She is not the only one. We have a lot of them now. And we are thankful to everyone – the authors of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program, financial partners and donor of our “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project – Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF), “HOPE worldwide Canada”, “HOPE worldwide” (USA), as well as all trainers, psychologists, and volunteers who are involved in our project. Now, in such difficult times for Ukraine, they are providing psycho-emotional help to those who desperately need it!

Here are the photos of the therapy groups that took place in March-April 2023 in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. The trainers – Svitlana Huminska, Svitlana Tymoshenko, Tetyana Hordiy, Tetyana Khamelyuk. We are grateful for the provided photos, for their work, professionalism, experience, and care!

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