Two “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” psychological support groups for children and teenagers have recently been completed in Kamianets-Podilskyi by trainers Zhanna Melnyk and Tetiana Kharkova.

Over the course of seven sessions, participants learned to better understand their emotions and work through anxiety, stress, and the effects of traumatic experiences caused by war. A total of 23 children and teenagers took part in the groups, many of whom continue to live under constant stress due to the war, while others have experienced evacuation, displacement, or the loss of their homes.

The trainers shared that the sessions helped children gradually open up, feel safer, and find words for emotions that had previously been difficult to express. For many participants, the group became a safe space where they could talk about fear, grief, and painful memories without judgment or pressure.

One of the participants, Anastasiia, was forced to leave her hometown Mykolaiv because of the war and now lives with her grandmother in Kamianets-Podilskyi. During the sessions, she often spoke about her home, her parents, and the pets she deeply misses. Over time, she discovered her own way of coping with emotions — she began writing a book about her experiences, memories, and dreams.

Another participant, Maksym, initially showed high levels of anxiety and avoided interaction with other children. Gradually, he became more engaged in the group activities and, by the end of the program, was able to say: “Before, the war was always in my head. Now I know how to push it out and make space for dreams again”.

Stories like these remind us how essential psychological support is for children and teenagers during wartime. Even a few safe and supportive meetings can become the beginning of healing, helping children regain trust, emotional stability, and a sense of hope.

Every contribution helps us organize new support groups, create safe spaces for children, and stay close to families exactly when they need it most.

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When people talk about psychological support for children, it can often sound complicated, long, and difficult to understand.

But in reality, it starts with simple things — a safe space and a well-structured process.

This is exactly how the “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” program works.

These are not lectures or “talks about the right emotions.”
This is hands-on, practical work where children gradually learn to understand themselves and cope with what they are going through.

The sessions take place in groups — and this is very important.
Children see that they are not alone, that others feel similar things. This alone already reduces tension.

During the sessions, children don’t just talk — they draw, do exercises, work with their bodies, learn to calm themselves through breathing, and practice techniques for working through fear.

Through these simple activities, important changes begin to happen:
children start to better understand their emotions, feel less afraid of them, and gradually learn how to manage them.

It is also very important that no one forces a child to open up right away.
Each child moves at their own pace — and this is what builds trust.

Over time, children begin to talk about things that were previously too difficult or impossible to express.
At the same time, they gain practical tools they can use in everyday life — not only during the sessions.

That is why this program works.
Not because “we talked,” but because children gain a real experience of safety, support, and practical skills that stay with them.

We continue this work because we see how valuable it is.

In February–March 2026, a series of group sessions for children took place in Poltava as part of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project. The program “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques” was delivered by facilitators Liubov But and Alina Zenchenko at Primary School #41.

A total of 26 children aged 8–9 participated in the program. They worked in two groups, gradually getting to know each other and becoming familiar with the format of the sessions.

The meetings were designed to help children not only talk, but also better understand their own emotional state and learn how to support themselves. Through simple exercises — breathing, body-based practices, and imagination — they developed skills for calming themselves and reducing tension. Special attention was given to working with fears, including techniques such as the “safe place” and the “fear ladder,” which help children gradually process difficult experiences.

Not all children engaged at the same pace: some needed more time to adjust and feel safe. However, over time, the groups began to change — with more trust, openness, and active participation emerging.

By the end of the program, positive changes were noticeable in most children: they found it easier to cope with anxiety, showed fewer signs of fear, and became more willing to talk about their experiences. Some participants also began using the learned techniques in their daily lives, both at school and at home.

This experience once again highlights the importance of creating safe spaces for children and providing them with simple, practical tools to cope with anxiety and emotional distress in everyday life.

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As part of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, our team continues to deliver psychological support sessions for children under the program “Children and War: Teaching Recovery Techniques.”

From December 2025 to March 2026, a series of group sessions was held at School #159 in Kyiv for children who have experienced war-related trauma.

The sessions were led by trained facilitators Olena and Volodymyr Loboda. Each group attended seven meetings, during which children learned to understand their emotions, cope with fear and anxiety, and gradually restore a sense of safety.

The participants were children aged 10–12. Most had witnessed war-related events, and some were internally displaced.

Based on pre- and post-program assessments, most children showed a positive dynamic in their emotional well-being. In particular:

• a decrease in intrusive memories;
• reduced avoidance of traumatic topics;
• increased emotional openness and awareness of their own feelings.

The most powerful outcomes are reflected in the children’s personal stories.

One participant, who had witnessed shelling, had long hidden his emotions behind humor. With the support of the group, he was able to openly speak about his fear for the first time. After that, he became calmer, more attentive, and more engaged in the sessions.

According to the facilitators, many children were cautious or even reluctant to participate at first. However, over time, the group became a safe space where they could be themselves.

Children began to look forward to the sessions, stayed afterward to spend more time together, and supported one another. After the program ended, many asked when the next meetings would take place.

This experience once again confirms that group-based psychological support for children affected by war is highly effective. It not only helps reduce anxiety but also builds trust, support, and inner resources for future life.

We continue this work to ensure that as many children in Ukraine as possible receive the psychological support they need.

A series of psychological support sessions for children took place at the premises of Vinnytsia Higher Vocational School #11. The program was designed for children who have experienced difficult events and sudden changes in their lives. Among the participants were also children from the city of Sumy. The first meetings were not easy. Memories brought up strong emotions, and the children appeared tense and cautious. But little by little, an atmosphere of trust began to grow. The children started taking part in the activities more confidently, speaking more openly about their feelings, and trying new ways to cope with anxiety.

One of the participants had been struggling with anxious dreams for a long time after being evacuated. At first, she kept her distance, but with each session she became more open. Eventually, she shared that the dreams were no longer as frequent and didn’t scare her as much. Another participant is going through a difficult separation from his mother, who is currently serving in the military. At the beginning he was quiet and reserved, but gradually he became more engaged in the sessions and later said that the techniques he learned are helping him manage his worries.

This experience once again shows that when children have a safe space, professional support, and a group of peers around them, things begin to feel a little better. They are not just talking about difficult experiences — they are learning how to move forward, drawing on new inner strengths.

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Today marks four years since the start of the full-scale war.
Ukrainians have been living in the reality of war since 2014. Throughout all these years, it has been present in our children’s lives — in air raid alarms, displacement, the loss of home, and growing up too soon.

All this time, we have been standing with children.
We hold a safe and supportive space, listen, help them process what is difficult, and gradually restore a sense of safety.
Our psychological support groups are a place where a child does not have to be “strong” — where it is okay to cry, feel anger, stay silent, and learn to trust the world again.

According to official data from international and Ukrainian organizations, millions of Ukrainian children are growing up in conditions of war and constant stress.
Behind every number are real stories — small shoulders carrying a burden far too heavy for childhood.

Today, we especially want to thank everyone who makes this work possible:
our defenders — for the chance to live and to help;
volunteers — for their daily, often unseen but vital work;
our trainers and psychologists — for their resilience, professionalism, and humanity;
our partners and donors — for the trust and support that allow this help to continue.

We do not know how long the war will last.
But we know for certain: children need support now.
And we will continue doing our work for children.

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In the village of Orynyn in the Khmelnytskyi region, we continue to run psychological support groups for children who come to the “Smarahdove Misto” (Emerald City) camp. For many of them, this is the first opportunity in a long time to exhale, to be in a safe place, and to feel that caring and attentive adults are nearby. This time, our trainers held six therapy groups for 64 children from the Donetsk region.

We worked in small circles so that each child had space to speak — or, if not yet ready, simply to be present among others. Through simple yet effective exercises, the children learned to recognize their emotions, calm themselves in moments of anxiety, and talk about fear and sadness without judgment or pressure.

It was visible how the mood of the group began to change after just a few meetings: more smiles, more mutual support, more courage in their words. The children started not only to listen, but also to support one another. And this is one of the most valuable outcomes.

For children from regions where the war continues every day, these meetings are not just another activity in the camp program. They are an opportunity to feel stability, to learn how to cope with inner tension, and to regain at least partial sense of control over their own lives.

We continue this work because we see its impact. And we will remain alongside children wherever they need support the most.

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For more than ten years, the trainers of our project have been working with children in various cities across Ukraine. During this time, thousands of boys and girls have received support that helped them overcome difficult experiences and preserve their inner resilience.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the need for such support has only increased. Our groups have been organized not only in Ukraine, but also abroad — for children whose families were forced to flee because of the war. Regardless of the country they are in, Ukrainian children need a space where they are heard and understood.

The groups under the program “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” are more than just sessions.
They provide:

• a safe space where children can talk about what hurts;

• exercises that help reduce anxiety and fear;

• an opportunity to process difficult experiences through play;

• new friendships and peer support;

• the care and attention of adults who understand how to work with childhood trauma.

Children themselves say that after the sessions, they feel better. They learn to recognize their emotions, calm themselves, and support one another. These are self-help skills that stay with them for life.

Our charitable foundation focuses specifically on this kind of psychological support. We:

• train new facilitators to work within the “Children and War. TRT” program;

• organize therapy groups for children in different regions of Ukraine and abroad;

• teach children self-help techniques, emotional regulation, and ways to restore their inner resources;

• help children safely process traumatic experiences;

• work with adults — parents, caregivers, and professionals — supporting them in coping with loss and stress;

• help adults process traumatic experiences and strengthen psychological resilience;

• provide symbolic gifts and create an atmosphere of care, safety, and acceptance.

We will continue this work. In a country where war continues, children are among the most vulnerable. They cannot protect themselves from psychological trauma on their own — they need support, care, and professional help.

Each group is a step toward healing.
Each child who feels supported is a step toward a stronger future for Ukraine.

Even as time passes, it is important to speak about good deeds.

At the end of December 2025, children from the Donetsk region who participated in our groups under the program “Children and War. Teaching Healing Techniques” received Christmas gifts from friends and partners in Germany.

Each package was prepared with care for every child individually. Inside were items the children had been dreaming about, warm and practical clothing, and of course sweets — because it is hard to imagine winter holidays without them. Yet the greatest value of these gifts lies in the feeling of attention and support.

For children growing up in the realities of war, such gestures carry special meaning. They remind them that the world is wider than their daily challenges, and that there are people who sincerely want to bring joy and a little carefree happiness into their lives.

We are deeply grateful to our international friends for their compassion and openness to cooperation. Thanks to you, the holiday season became warmer, and children’s smiles more genuine.

Support matters. And it is felt.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New 2026 Year!

Thank you for standing with us – for your trust, compassion, and continued support.

Jogether, we have been able to bring care, resilience, and hope to children, families, and communities facing extraordinary challenges.

May this festive season bring you moments of warmth, light, and peace. As we step into the New Year, we wish you good health, inspiration, and new opportunities — and we sincerely hope that it will bring lasting peace and recovery for Ukraine.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Warm regards,

HOPE worldwide Ukraine Charity Foundation