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).
