The close cooperation of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” (the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project) and “SOS: Civil Defense Headquarters” continues since October 2022. In order to take care of children who suffered from war, our partners united various funds and many entrepreneurs and launched the “For Children of War” project, aimed at the psychological rehabilitation of children from the frontline territories of Ukraine.

Within the framework of this project, children in times of severe stress have the opportunity to “take a break” and visit a camp in Kamianets-Podilskyy (Khmelnytskyi region). The camp offers an entertaining recreation program, master classes and guided tours, as well as psychological trainings for psycho-emotional recovery. The “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project provides the psychological component of this camp: 8 trainers of our project conduct “Children and War. TRT” therapy sessions for school-age children helping the participants to overcome pain, fears, intrusive memories, and other effects of war-related stress.

Thanks to the “Children and War. TRT” program, more than 200 children who attended the camp have already received psychological help (the majority of them are children from Kharkiv and Kherson regions). During therapy sessions, they communicate openly and sincerely and support each other, learn to trust others again. In the process of work, inner peace, confidence, and a sense of security return to them. They draw, play and get excited and happy to receive the presents – backpacks/art-kits with art supplies and warm blankets. The project continues and we are grateful to our partners – “SOS: Civil Defense Headquarters” for organizing the camp and fruitful cooperation, Canada-Ukraine Foundation for financial support, and to all our trainers for their experience, caring hearts and sincere love for children.

Photo album on Facebook

“HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Charity Foundation received an annual grant for 2023 from “HOPE worldwide Canada”, our Canadian partner, and another one from “HOPE worldwide” (USA) as part of a large program of humanitarian and psychological aid to Ukraine, implemented with financial support of the Salvation Army.

Thanks to the support of donors and partners “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” team, within the frames of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, will continue to train new trainers in “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology, and support psychologists and regional coordinators through educational events and retreats. The team of trainers will provide psycho-social support through psychological therapy and self-help tools to the IDPs, children and parents with war trauma, residents of de-occupied/liberated territories, and also the elderly who are staying in war-affected areas. Also, within the framework of the new grants, the project team will continue to equip safe spaces, where the therapy sessions for children and adults will be conducted by the program trainers

We express our gratitude to our partners and donors for the trust and financial support of Ukraine in these difficult times.

We sincerely thank the volunteers of the “Hope worldwide Ukraine” foundation and everyone who joined and helped us make Christmas gifts for children in Kyiv and Kamianets- Podilskyy during the holidays.

Thanks to the joint volunteer work in Kyiv, small patients of the toxicology department of Kyiv hospital Okhmatdyt received their Christmas gifts. Our volunteers visit this hospital for more than 10 years in a row, giving their time, love and care to the children. This year, they had the opportunity not only to hand over gifts, but also to communicate with children and have fun together. We sincerely thank Maksym and Britan Yakovlevy and Maksym Oliynyk for organizing the event, as well as every volunteer from the youth group of the Kyiv Church of Christ who shared their hearts, love, joy and festive mood with the children.

Also in Kyiv, volunteers delivered 65 “sweet” gifts and dozens of chocolate “Santa Clauses” to children with special needs who live in the capital with their families. Some of them are unable to walk on their own, so their parents or relatives received the gifts for them (on the photo). We are grateful to Oleksandr Kovtun for the initiative, event organization, and his caring heart.

Our special gratitude goes to the Hjælp ukrainske børn foundation and personaly to Lesya Ignatiuk-Eriksen (Denmark, Copenhagen) for financial assistance – 100 gifts “went” to the children’s camp in Kamianets-Podilskyy. Thank you, Oleksandr Kovtun, for organizing the entire process, purchasing and sending gifts. Currently, about 100 children from Kharkiv and Kharkiv region, Kherson and Chornobayivka (Kherson region) are in this camp, and they are receiving psychological help under the program “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques.” This became possible within the framework of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project in cooperation with the charitable foundation “SOS: Headquarters of Civil Defense”. We sincerely thank our partner for organizing the camp. Special thanks to the colleagues of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, Iryna and Oleksiy Sukhovy, for the constant contact with the fund in Kamianets-Podilskyy, for collecting needs and monitoring the resolution of all issues. We are also very grateful to the volunteers of the Kyiv Church of Christ for their help and delivery of food for the children of this camp – in December, they sent about 300 kg of cereals, oil and canned food to Kamianets-Podilskyy. Serhiy Shiyan, Pavlo Petryn, Denis Gorbach – thank you very much!!!

Photo album on Facebook

In autumn 2022, several trainings were held for new specialists of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program. The new trainers immediately began to put their knowledge into practice and plunged into work. They started to conduct therapy sessions throughout Ukraine and abroad for children and their parents affected by the war. During the entire time, the new trainers were supported by experienced psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project – Iryna Sukhova, Nataliya Podolyak, Olena Bozhor and Tetyana Oboyanska. Online supervision meetings were held every week for several hours. The participants also worked on weekends, and during air alarms, and even without electricity. Despite rhe hardships, all new specialists received necessary support, answers to their questions, comments and useful tips.

Photo album on Facebook

On December 22, 2022, in Kamianets-Podilskyy, Khmelnytskyy Region, the new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program received the certificates. In a warm friendly atmosphere, the participants of the event shared their impressions of working in groups, as well as their victories and failures. Thanks to the work of these 16 trainers, 120 children and 55 adults in Kamianets-Podilskyy received psychological support and learned effective self-help techniques. These people are mostly IDPs who left their home because of the war and have traumatic experience. Some of them lost their close people, some do not even hope to return home, because everything there has been destroyed by the enemy. But all of them are grateful for the fact that now they have hope and strength to build a new future and a new Ukraine. The new trainers are full of enthusiasm and desire to continue working within the “Children and War” program.

The event was held in fruitful cooperation of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” and “SOS: Civil Defense Headquarters” Charity Foundations.

Photo album on Facebook

On December 21, 2022, in Chernivtsi the new trainers of the”Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program received the certificates. The new specialists were studying trauma healing techniques in the Chernivtsi National University named after Yuriy Fedkovich. It was a difficult training in October. Due to massive rocket attacks in those days, the participants often had to study in the bomb shelter of this educational institution. The certificates awarding ceremony was also held in the university and also in extreme conditions: a few hours before the meeting there were two air alarms, and during the event there was no electricity, so the new trainers received their certificates in the light of mobile phone flashlights. But it did not hinder the festive mood, especially since almost half of the therapy sessions for children and parents took place in such an atmosphere during the autumn months.

“I am glad that there are many psychology students among this new team of trainers,” – says Iryna Sukhova, the main psychologist and team leader of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project. – The participants were practicing stress reducing techniques and working out their traumatic memories caused by the war with interest and diligence”.

We are grateful to our partners from Chernivtsi National University named after Yuriy Fedkovich and hope that our common work will continue in the new trainers’ of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program work in Chernivtsi. We wish peace, indomitability and light to every home!

The event is organized within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF).

Photo album on Facebook

In November 2022 “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions were held in the Chernivtsi regional center of social and psychological assistance. About 350 internally displaced people currently live in the center, among them 70 are children. All these people moved to Chernivtsi from different parts of Ukraine, but the vast majority is from eastern regions, where entire settlements were destroyed by the war. In the first group there were participants with special needs and elderly people who live in the same dormitory. During the sessions, the participants mastered techniques for overcoming stress, fears and unpleasant memories associated with the war, and also learned to make friends and cooperate in a team, which significantly improved their relationships and communication in everyday life. The classes were conducted by Vitalia Didukh and Nataliya Kuchumova.

Activities are held within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF)

Photo album on Facebook

On December 18, 2022, tne new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program received the certificates in Kyiv. The new specialists finished their learning in autumn, and started to conduct therapy sessions for children and parent groups. It was a very difficult work, because the lack of electricity, water and Internet connection at the places where therapy sessions were held brought chaos and uncertainty, and massive rocket attacks and enemy drones on the streets of Kyiv made the trainers stop the meetings and go down to the shelter. But all these difficulties only proved that the self-help techniques are necessary nowadays and how much we all need each other.

“I was going to the group meeting through the dark city, with cookies and 6 liters of tea in thermoses for children in my hands,” – trainer Lyudmila Kush shares her memories. – “There was no electricity, so I had to carry everything with me from home. There wasn’t cell phone service, so I didn’t know if the kids would come to the meeting or if they were safe at all. But I was going because I understand how important it is for them right now to learn stress management techniques. And I also understand how important it is for me to be with them at such a difficult time, to be a point of indomitability. All this gives meaning to my work, and strength and confidence to me. I approached the door of the center, and there in the dark I saw the children from my group and a co-trainer. They met me with the words: “We didn’t know if there would be a session, but we came anyway”.
And this is just one story out of many. And we welcome new trainers! We are proud of their resilience and wish them fruitful work!

The event is organized within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF).

Photo album on Facebook

On December 7-9, 2022, the representatives of the CO “HOPE worldwide” (USA) spoke at the international summit “World for Ukraine” held in the Polish city of Rzeszów. The summit was also attended by Volodymyr Yermakov, Director of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine”.

“HOPE worldwide” charity organisation, which is a long-term partner of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine”, in 2022 has provided $20 million in medicine and medical supplies to families throughout Ukraine. Dave Tomlinson, “HOPE worldwide” Senior Director of Disaster Response told about coordination of humanitarian aid.

Amanda Sanders, “HOPE worldwide” Global Psychosocial Support Advisor, presented the results of work of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project team , implemented by “HOPE worldwide Ukraine”. She told about psychosocial support, provided by project trainers to the internally displaced persons, refugees, people in liberated cities and villages, those who are under constant sheling and attacks.

The World for Ukraine (W4UA) Summit focuses on world leaders, organizations and people who are actively engaged in relief efforts for Ukraine. The Summit attracts central and local government institutions, international organizations, NGOs, businesses, think tanks and media from Ukraine and the world at large.

Photo album on Facebook

In November 2022, group supervisions for new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program were held in Kamianets-Podilskyy (Khmelnytskyy region) and Chernivtsi. The new specialists were trained in autumn and are currently conducting therapy sessions for children and their parents in their native cities. The supervision is very important for the new trainers. During these meetings they continue to learn and receive support from their mentors. Also the new trainers have an opportunity to share their own experience, hear the experience of others, and get answers to their questions. Supervisions were conducted by Iryna Sukhova – an experienced psychologist and the team leader of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project. Iryna was also present at some of the therapy sessions with children and adults conducted by the new trainers.

Photo album on Facebook