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).

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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)

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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).

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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.

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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.

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In autumn 2022 “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions for children aged 10-14 were held in Kyiv. All the children came to Kyiv from different regions of Ukraine, and currently live in the capital. The sessions were conducted by the trainers Olena Bielik and Yulia Kozlova.

“During our meetings wast was special for me to watch how children from different parts of Ukraine with the same problems, were able to unite and continue communication beyond our platform” – one of the trainers says. – “And of course, the most important result of the therapy sessions is the improvement of the physical, psychological and emotional state of children.

“As for me, a vivid story of healing was the story of a girl from Izyum, Kharkiv region,” – says another trainer. – “At the beginning of our sessions she had big problems with sleeping, nutrition and behaviour. But with each of our meeting she was opening as a flower. She was doing all the home tasks very attentively and by the end of the course she could even provide support and assistance to her loved ones by herself”.

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

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In October and November “Children and War. TRT” therapy course for teenagers was held in Chernivtsi. The sessions were organized as a part of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project in cooperation with the “Caritas” Charity Foundation. Experienced project trainers – Galyna Fesun and Maryna Chorney – conducted therapy course for 11 teenagers. The children attended the classes with pleasure, most of all they liked communication with peers, working together with different emotional states and self-help tools to overcome fear. The group included participants from Chernivtsi and other cities of Ukraine who temporarily moved to Chernivtsi. All participants worked equally hard, were interested and friendly.

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Nikopol is a city in Dnipropetrovsk region that is under constant shelling, sometimes several times per day. People do not hide in bomb shelters, they live there. For children and their parents who spend nights in bomb shelters the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project of the Charity Foundation “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” in cooperation with the “Nikopol Center for Adult Education” organized the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses. Project trainers Olha Pastushok and Liudmyla Semencha work with the participants right in the bomb shelter. They teach them various self-help techniques: how to calm down during a panic attack, how to deal with a scary memory or fear, how to fall asleep to the sound of explosions.

“We are very grateful for the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology. We can use it to help children and their parents in this difficult time, – says Olga Pastushok. – It is difficult in Nikopol, there are constant explosions and gunshots, but we are working. People really need help, their psychological state is terrible. But together we overcome fears, pain, practice self-help techniques, they are effective. There is a lot of work. For example, today we held two groups for children and two groups for parents. After the session, we presented our little participants with gift backpacks from the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project. It was a real surprise for the children. There was so much joy that even some adults couldn’t hold back their tears.”

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The three-day “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training was held on November 12, 19 and 20, 2022 for educators from Irpin and Bucha – small towns of the Kyiv region that suffered tremendously from the russian occupation. The training was organized in cooperation with the Zoryanytsya project (mental health recovery space), which unites several charity foundations and NGOs. Among the 17 participants of the training were educators and psychologists of the Irpin and Bucha districts, also educators from Plast youth organization in Irpin. The “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project trainers, Iryna Sukhova, Nataliya Podolyak, and Olena Bozhor, worked with the participants.

It was the third out of 12 planned trainings within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” Project held with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF). In August 2022 CUF provided a grant to expand a trauma therapy program, which trains the trainers to work with children and adults with war trauma. The project is implemented by the “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Charity Foundation with the support of American and Canadian partners, HOPE worldwide (USA) and HOPE worldwide Canada.

“Implementing the project our team uses the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology, one of the most effective proven methodologies of support and recovery for children and adults with war trauma, – says Iryna Sukhova, “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project leader. – We teach the participants the understanding of psychological trauma, how children experience trauma, the importance of the parents’ role in healing children’s traumas. We also give them tools for working with traumatized children, which are described in the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology. On the other hand, our participants – educators, psychologists, teachers, and tutors – also survived the occupation and were traumatized by war in their own homes. Therefore, our task is to treat them with care and give them the opportunity to heal their personal wounds. They all are heroes. They take care of children and help them. And we teach them to take care of themselves in order to have the power to further continue their important work”.

Here are some reviews of the participants:
“The topic of the training was relevant for me personally. I often encounter various emotions and thoughts, which will now be easier to deal with, thanks to an imaginary “backpack” with tools and techniques. It will also help in my personal communication with the closest people, to improve their emotional state. I will use the tools in the work with children, I plan to do it after my personal practice” – Oleksandr Makhakhing

“The topic of the training was very important for me personally, as I am a mother of two children and also, I work with children. During the training, I managed to process and cope with some personal memories, traumas, and bad dreams. The most useful for me were the techniques that will help in further work with children. Everything was clear and easy to understand. Thank you for the training and for the work you are doing” – Anna Bazylyuk

“This topic is very relevant nowadays, because the war is going on. I work in a school where many children have seen the war with their own eyes, many of them are in an unstable emotional state. And this training helped me to enrich my baggage of knowledge, which I will use to help children. I am very glad to have attended this training. Thank you!” – Svitlana Cherapanova
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REFERENCE INFORMATION
International Charity Project “Helping Hand in Ukraine” exists since 2015. The Project aims to improve the socio-emotional and psychological state and wellbeing of children with war trauma and their families who witnessed and suffered from the war against Ukraine. The Project trains the trainers to work with the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” methodology; provides psychological assistance to children and their parents with war trauma, teaching them skills of psychological self-regulation and self-assistance and techniques of relaxation; fosters cooperation with state social services in order to ensure immediate attention from professionals to cases of mild and severe mental problems as well as constant aftercare and social support. More information about the Project is provided on the website of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” Charity Foundation.

Contact person for media: Olga Batiuk, mob. +38 050 359 7266 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp), olga.batiuk@gmail.com

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Serhiy and Yana Serhieiev are certified trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” Program. Previously, they lived in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, but due to the full-scale war in Ukraine, they moved to Kamianets-Podilskyy, Khmelnytskyi region. In their native Kramatorsk, Serhiy and Yana conducted “Children and War. TRT” therapy sessions for children and their parents, and also gathered groups of young trainers, guided and supported them, and were ambassadors of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project in Donetsk region.

After being displaced, they did not fall into despair because of their personal difficult circumstances, but on began to teach healing and self-help techniques to those who desperately need it. Moreover, at the moment there are many people from different regions of Ukraine in Kamianets-Podilskyy. So far, the trainers have already conducted 8 therapy courses for more than 100 children. The groups are held offline and online, the participants show positive results: they learn to overcome their fears and obsessive memories, become calmer and more self-confident, cope with the pain and difficult emotions associated with the war.

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