On March 04, 2024, the new trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program in Poltava received th ecertificates. The psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Iryna Sukhova and Tetyana Oboyanska handed in the certificates.

“In autumn last lyear, we had a training for a group of trainers in cooperation with Korolenko Poltava Pedagogical University, – shares Iryna Sukhova. – Finally, we certified those of them who successfully underwent the practical stage of the project and worked fruitfully with groups of children and adults. We talked in a warm atmosphere in the premises of the university, noted the peculiarities of the work of each of the groups and the relevance of the program.”

The team of our project congratulates the young trainers with good results at the beginning of their work with the program and wishes them further success.

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From February 29 to March 2, 2024, the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training took place in Khmelnytskyi. 24 participants from Khmelnytskyi and Khmelnytskyi region, as well as from Vinnytsia, studied the topic of the reasons and overcoming of PTSD, which residents of Ukraine experience during the war. Iryna Sukhova and Nataliya Podolyak, psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, shared their knowledge and experience with the group. New specialists will conduct “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions. They will teach the participants self-help techniques to overcome stress, fears, pain, losses, to ease own psycho-emotional state.

The training was conducted within the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project in cooperation with partners from CF “Rokada” (Khmelnytskyi) and with the financial support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

Feedback from participants.

Daria Tsechmeister: “Expectations from the training were met 100%. I plan to implement the program at the Vinnytsia Technical Vocational College in March-April this year. Thank you for setting hearts alight. Thanks to this many children are healed. With such opportunities, our nation has a great future”.

Liudmyla Bezditna: “The material is presented nicely, it is structured. I plan to implement the program in March in two communities of our region (not far from the city). The training was incredible, the examples were relevant. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in such training.”

Tetyana Halytska: “I really liked the training. We plan to conduct groups for students at the Khmelnytskyi National University, as well as, perhaps, another group online. The “Children and War. TRT” training was relevant for me, because I work with people on a psychological platform as a volunteer and I receive for such first aid. I also want to help my loved ones and teach them self-help exercises. Many thanks to the wonderful trainers for easy and clear presentation of the material.”

Maryna Sulimenko: “The training is incredible. I feel full and with growing wings. I plan to conduct groups at secondary school #12 in March-April this year. “Children and War. TRT” is a program that helps children and adults overcome their fears, traumas, and experiences not on paper, but in practice.”

Alla Verbolovych: “You have exceeded my expectations. I plan to implement the program in the nearest future at Lyceum #7 in Khmelnytskyi. Many thanks to the trainers and the organizing team for the fulfilling days, for the up-to-date material, sincerity and high professionalism.”

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In the period from February 10 to 24, 2024, 120 children aged 8-13 from Kharkiv and Kharkiv region took part in the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions, held at the “Litokryl” children’s camp in Irshava, Zakarpattia region.

“Litokryl” is an all-Ukrainian project of psycho-emotional support for children from the Rescue Now Foundation, which conducts charity camps. The purpose of the camps is to provide support to children who suffered due to the war in Ukraine.

The team of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project was happy to join this project in order to conduct the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions for children as part of the camp program, as well as to provide individual psychological help to those who needed it.

During the therapy sessions, the children learned to overcome anxiety, fears and post-traumatic stress. In order for this support to become reliable and long-term for children, the camp program also included online meetings for parents. Talented, sensitive, supportive trainers of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project Svitlana Olfirenko, Bohdana Napleta, Viktoriya Tristan, Tetyana Drabych worked with the children.

We sincerely thank our partners for their cooperation!

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The “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training for new trainers took place on February 14-16, 2024 in Kyiv. It was organised in partnership with the Center for the Professional Development of Teachers in Kyiv and the Kyiv Teacher’s House. Iryna Sukhova, Nataliya Podolyak and Tetiana Oboyanska, trainers and psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, trained 29 participants who will further conduct “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy groups for children and adults. The project team will help them with organizational and supervisory support. We are looking forward to an active and busy spring period and hope for positive results.

The training was held with the financial support of our partner, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF).

Feedback from the participants.

Maria Shamina: “The highest score, 10 points for everything. I am inspired by this project, and hope to implement it in the near future. The “Children and War” program is very useful and timely, because children are the most vulnerable category of those in need of psychological assistance. It carefully and gently guides children from meeting to meeting, healing their souls and bodies”.

Olha Khoptyar: “The training, the material, the coffee breaks, the premises, the methodology, the atmosphere – I rate everything 10 points. I plan to organize 2 groups, gain experience, and put the knowledge into practice. The training is incredible! The organizers and trainers are wonderful and professional! Thank you very much for the valuable information, structure, and knowledge box.”

Yana Khyzhnyak: “The score is 10. I want to gather a group of teachers and then extend the program to children and parents. Thank you very much for the training, it is exactly what I wanted from such a program. Experienced trainers, wise organization!”

Oksana Yashchenko: “100 points out of 10 possible for everything. I would like to implement the program as soon as possible, that is, immediately. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to get trained in “Children and War” program. I would really like to see such programs become widespread and actively spread around the world. Thank you!”

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On January 12, 2024, 13 new trainers of “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program received the certificates. The certificates were awarded to the participants of the training, which took place in October last year. The new trainers shared their experience, talked about their insights during the practical part of the project (conducting therapy groups), how simple and effective the program is and how much children like it. They also talked about improving the psycho-emotional state of children as a significant result of the therapy sessions, and emphasized that it is necessary to implement the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program in every school, not only in Lutsk, but throughout Ukraine.

Iryna Sukhova, head and chief psychologist of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, and Khrystyna Kipryanova, psychologist and project coordinator handed out the certificates.

We would like to thank Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University for cooperation! And many thanks to our partner, the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF), for their financial support!

Participants’ feedback:

Inna Voloshyna: “I was unable to attend the certification event last Friday, but I thank Khrystyna Kipryanova, Iryna Sukhova and Natalia Podolyak, who trained the trainers of the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program last autumn. The program is great because the theory is filtered through many years of experience, and therefore it is voluminous and multifaceted.”

Natalia Matviyuk: “Thank you for teaching us! I wish you health, success, inspiration, and most importantly, a soon Victory for all of us! Together we are STRONG!”

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On January 10, 2024, the new specialists of the program “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” program received the certificates in Kyiv. This group of newly-certified trainers studied in the capital in September 2023. Among them are residents of Kyiv, Brovary, and Zaporizhzhia. In all these cities, the newly-trained conducted “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy sessions in autumn and winter. They carefully passed on the knowledge, practical exercises and experience gained during the training to the children and adults in gorups. Interestingly, all school psychologists in Brovary now have been trained within the program. The trainers from this group shared that they had been waiting for the opportunity to study for a long time, and now they have a “complete set” in the city.

23 people received “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” trainer certificates. The participants greeted each other, recalled funny situations that happened during the sessions, and thanked the organizers for the opportunity to study and work using the program. We welcome the new trainers and believe that their further work will bring many healings.

We are grateful to our partners – Kyiv City Teacher’s House, Institute of Social and Political Psychology, Podil District Organization of the Red Cross Society in Kyiv – for their cooperation.

Special thanks to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) for the financial support of our project!

We are publishing the feedback of one of the participants, Larysa Bondarenko (Zaporizhzhia):
“Recently, in Kyiv, as part of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, the friendly team of the CF “Care and Understanding” received their individual certificates of the “Children and War” trainers. We have learned and practiced many healing techniques, theories and practices for working with war trauma in groups for children and adults. The topic of war-related stress is very relevant and serious, and there is a lot of work to be done. The training was conducted by the psychologists of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project – Iryna Sukhova, Natalia Podolyak and Tetiana Oboyanska. Thank you for the opportunity to learn effective techniques during the war. Let’s keep working together until the Victory.”

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On December 20-22, 2023, the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project team has participated in the retreat held in Uzhhorod with the financial support of our long-time friends and partners from “HOPE worldwide Canada”. Due to the chronic stress of the war and after the hard and painstaking work of a psychologist, which among other includes sharing the pain of traumatized people, treating them and giving them strength, it is important for every professional to rest and reload. This is the prevention of professional burnout. That is why the retreat for 10 psychologists and trainers, who are the heart and backbone of our project, was very appropriate and relevant at the end of the year. The participants of the retreat enjoyed the new impressions, got acquainted with the castles and the ancient streets of Uzhhorod and Mukachevo. And also they enjoyed the local cuisine, listened to amazing stories about our ancestors who lived on this land many years ago, relaxed during spa treatments, and like real artists, painted pictures during the “Art and Wine” masterclass.

We are grateful to Anna Lyashenko for organising the event, she took care of everything and accompanied the participants like an angel from the first to the last step. We would also like to thank all the fairies and wizards who drove, treated, waited, taught, and told interesting stories and jokes.

Participants’ feedback.

Iryna Sukhova: “It was incredible to turn off my head and just paint, to reveal my inner potential through the movements of the brush. Everyone created a true masterpiece, beautiful and original in their own way. We also had a lot of live communication. We all live in different cities, have different work schedules and lives. And here we had an opportunity to see each other in person, to hug, talk, and laugh together. We really missed it. We also had an evening as a team – exchanging Christmas gifts, playing board games, talking about the coming year and our own internal resources to overcome this terrible war”.

Olga Posternak: “At a time when military operations are taking place in our country, there are a lot of anxieties, sadness, long-term and exhausting expectations and hopes for victory. So it is very important not to forget to take care of yourself. I am immensely grateful to the project for taking care of my colleagues and for the opportunity to relax my body and soul. The event was unforgettable and full of positive impressions”.

Elena Dorohavtseva: “I am infinitely grateful for these three days of fairytale-like atmosphere, humour, relaxation and interesting experiences!”

Khrystyna Kravchenko: “I am thankful to “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” for the unforgettable moments and impressions of the retreat. Excursions to beautiful places opened up new horizons, allowing us to feel the atmosphere of history and beauty. The art masterclass allowed us to express our creativity and feel the joy of the process. The atmosphere was favourable to the creative process and mutual support. The spa met all expectations, giving a feeling of complete relaxation and energy recovery. This retreat is not just a holiday, but a real journey into the world of joy and unbelievable harmony”.

Natalia Podolyak: “I want to thank you for the fabulous retreat in Uzhhorod! It is so important when the team is taken care of and feels valued and important! The time spent with the team was the time when we could communicate in a friendly atmosphere, laugh, support each other and be inspired by our interaction! Thank you for an unforgettable trip! Such retreats are extremely necessary for us, professionals who live in war and work with human psychological trauma!”

Serhii Serheyev and Yana Serheyeva: “Thank you very much for the opportunity to feel support, meet a friendly circle of colleagues and relax. Unforgettable impressions, appreciation of the country and a charge of cheerfulness and energy are all that is needed to sum up the year, all thanks to you and “HOPE worldwide Ukraine”. I (Yana) am filled with pride that I am a part of a large project that helps children from all over Ukraine!”

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Children love holidays and are always waiting for holiday presents. So, in these difficult times for Ukraine, the team members of “HOPE worldwide Ukraine” and “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, together with the volunteers from Germany, had the pleasure to support and delight children in three Ukrainian cities.

In Drohobych, Lviv region, the gifts were handed to children whose parents were killed in the war or went missing. These families were gathered at the town hall by the city administration’s department for veterans. At the meeting, Iryna Sukhova, the head and chief psychologist of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project, spoke with warm words of support. The children liked the gifts and the festive mood has been successfully created.

The presents were also handed to children from the “Children of War” camp in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. These kids came to the camp from the “hot war zones” to calm down a bit, reduce stress and anxiety, and get some medical treatment. The organizers planned a whole festive event for them with a performance, after which St. Nicholas handed over the gifts. The children were satisfied and happy.

Another city where the holiday sweets “went” to was Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region. This is a city that is 2 km from the front line and is bleeding. People there practically live in bomb shelters because they are undergoing daily shelling. And after the Kakhovka reservoir was blown up, they have been living without water for six months. “But despite everything, there is life there! – says Iryna Sukhova. – “And we sent sweets for the children of the city. Let their holiday be tasty and peaceful!”

We sincerely thank our sponsors from Germany! Namely, the owner of the Blue-energy company Christiane Serger, who organized the Brigitte Rusch Vernissage and raised money to help children in Ukraine. And special thanks to Marina Schutz, a person with a big heart, a Ukrainian by birth, who has been living in Germany for more than 10 years and has been actively volunteering and helping those in need in Ukraine since the first days of the war.

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At the end of October 2023, the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project team, together with the project partner, Poltava National V.H. Korolenko Pedagogical University, conducted a “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” training for teachers and students of this university. And now the teachers who have completed the training are passing on their knowledge, experience and skills in handling stress of war to students of their pedagogical university.
Currently, the therapy sessions are held in eight groups for about 100 people. Among the group participants are native Poltava residents, those who came to Poltava from other cities and regions of Ukraine, IDPs and young people from the de-occupied territories.

The therapy sessions are held thanks to the financial support of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project partner, the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

We sincerely thank our trainers, Nina Atamanchuk, Veronika Sukhomlyn, Tetyana Dziuba, Natalia Honcharova, Yulia Dubovyk, Olena Hniezdilova, Tetyana Fazan, and Angela Pasichnichenko, for their dedication and photos!

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On November 23, Lyudmyla Samus and Olena Zabroda, employees of the Social Services Center of the Myrhorod City Council, launched the “Children and War. Teaching Recovery Techniques” therapy courses in “Slava” Myrhorod Specialized Sanatorium (Poltava region).
The sessions are held for 2 groups of residents of the sanatorium – internally displaced persons who have suffered psychological damage and trauma as a result of living in the territories where hostilities are taking place, as well as due to resettlement.

“During the psychological program, the participants will learn self-regulation techniques, skills of experiencing negative emotions ecologically and regulating feelings,” the Center for Social Services of the Myrhorod City Council wrote on their Facebook page. – “The goal of the program is to teach participants to own their difficult memories of past events and to be able to extract experience from them.

The trainers noted that in order to overcome intrusive memories, the participants use imagination techniques, art-therapy and breathing exercises. Each meeting ends with pleasant communication and a delicious tea party.

The therapy sessions are held with the support of the “Helping Hand for Ukraine” project partner, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

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