Themes by tag: children

The Children of Heroes Charity Fund, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Running Club and local partners, is organizing the Run for Children of Heroes race on June 1 to commemorate World Children’s Day. The event will take place in multiple countries, including the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Germany, France, Sweden, and Ukraine.

The goal of this race is to raise funds for Ukrainian children who have lost one or both parents due to the war. 100% of the registration fees will go directly to support the Fund’s assistance programs.

Participants can choose between two distances – 5 km or 10 km. 

For reference: The Children of Heroes Charity Fund provides long-term support to more than 12,500 children who have lost one or both parents in the war. Its assistance programs include psychological rehabilitation, medical care, humanitarian aid, and educational support. 

On February 23, 2025, the Fund hosted Heroes Run 2025. The running event united over 400 participants across nine cities worldwide and raised more than €17,000 to support Ukrainian children. All proceeds were donated directly to the Fund.

• children

The Grandma’s Hares project was launched four years ago by the Nasha Peremoga (Our Victory) Charitable Fund, which supports the elderly. This initiative aims to foster intergenerational communication by having participants, aged 60 and older, create hares from socks following a specific pattern. These soft toys are given to children in stressful situations, those who have suffered violence, or witnessed traumatic events. Police officers use these comforting toys to establish contact with or calm the children. For instance, the first doll hare was given to a young child who got lost and was found by the juvenile police.

Since the outbreak of the full-blown war, these toy hares have aided police officers in working with children affected by the warfare, including those who have lost parents or endured occupation. They are also distributed to children in shelters and hospitals. Additionally, hares in reflective vests have been used to teach preschoolers about traffic rules. During the winter blackouts, they provided comfort at the Points of Invincibility.

In May 2023, the elderly women crafted a special batch of brightly colored hares at the request of the White Angel unit of the National Police of Ukraine, which is responsible for evacuating children from the war zone.

Since the project’s inception, volunteer craftswomen from Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Lutsk, Ternopil, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv regions have produced over 1,300 handmade doll hares, which have been distributed to the police. These toys are now used by Ukraine’s Juvenile Police across 20 regions and by the White Angel evacuation teams.

Journalists can arrange interviews with the project participants and organizers in Kyiv or other cities, and online communication is also available.

For reference: The practice of distributing Trauma Teddies to police is common in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

On June 1, International Children’s Day, Lviv will host a charity auction featuring a collection of rare and high-profile items. Proceeds from the event will go toward the development and support of the children’s rehabilitation unit at St. Nicholas Hospital, part of the UNBROKEN ecosystem. The facility provides care for children recovering from serious illnesses, surgeries, trauma, burns, and war-related injuries.

Among the exclusive auction items:

• A T-shirt signed by soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo (starting price: USD 1,500);
  
• Original rhinestones from Michael Jackson’s iconic gloves (starting price: USD 1,200);
  
• A soccer ball autographed by players of the Ukrainian national team (starting price: USD 1,000);
  
• A facsimile of the Tomos of Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, signed by Metropolitan Epiphanius (starting price: USD 1,000);
  
• A soccer ball signed by players of FC Karpaty (starting price: USD 500). 

Media representatives must obtain accreditation to attend the event.

• children
• Lviv

On May 25, as Ukraine’s capital celebrates the Day of Kyiv, an open cultural and educational gathering for children and parents “Nytochka” (The Little Thread) will take place. The event will feature a conversation on culture in times of war, along with a music and dance workshop led by the folk band ShchukaRyba and the Voices of Children charity foundation.

Over the past six months, the Voices of Children Foundation and ShchukaRyba have met with teenagers in frontline cities, including Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Chernihiv, and Dnipro. A planned session in Sumy was canceled due to a russian ballistic missile strike just hours before it was set to begin. The Kyiv event will mark the final stop in the series.

Singer and poet Maryna Krut, the Ivan Honchar Museum, the Patron Pets Center, and other partners will also take part in the “Nytochka” gathering.

During the event, the Voices of Children team will share information about psychological and psychosocial support available to families and children affected by the war, and help those in need access professional assistance.

For reference: The series of cultural and educational meetings with ShchukaRyba is part of the art laboratories launched by the Voices of Children Foundation. The project helps teenagers process the trauma of war through creativity, rebuilding their confidence and sense of trust in the world.

A reminder: International Children’s Day is observed globally on June 1.

• children
• culture
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Artist Yaroslava Yatsuba and schoolboy Mark Ivanchenko began collaborating at the onset of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At just 13 years old, Mark created his first animation based on one of Yaroslava’s drawings. He brought to life a piece titled What a Moonlit Night, depicting Ukrainians destroying enemy tanks under the glow of the moon. Since then, the artist and the young animator have continued working together.

Yaroslava paints nearly every day, drawing inspiration for her artwork from current news events. Mark transforms her illustrations into animations.

Yaroslava later raffles off these “living pictures” to raise donations and showcases them at international exhibitions. The pair now focuses solely on producing animations for Ukrainian military training camps. Mark’s most recent works have supported fundraising campaigns for the Come Back Alive and Azov charities.

The animation team is available for online or in-person interviews by prior arrangement.

• children
• culture
• Poltava

On May 21, the Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing: “Youth voice in the care system: How the state and partners respond to children’s real needs”

Participants:
– Mariia Sakuta, Director General of the Directorate for Overcoming Difficult Life Circumstances at the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine;
– Taras Odnenko, Member of the DIiMO Office, Graduate of an Institutional Care Facility;
– Kyrylo Nevdokha, Head of the DIiMO Office, Ambassador of Mentorship;
– Anastasiia Stepula, Advocacy Consultant at the Ukrainian Child Rights Network NGO.

Key topics:
– The needs and demands of children and youth in institutional care facilities and alternative care formats;
– The role of youth voices in reforms and support from the state and the DIiMO Office;
– DIiMO Office’s plans for 2025–2026: how to improve the lives of children and youth in the care system;
– Partnerships for change: the role of civil society organizations in protecting rights and development of children and youth.

• children
• Kyiv

Nastia spent her childhood in three different orphanages. Each time, she had to adapt to a new environment, and say goodbye all over again. Today, she lives independently, works, and is preparing to join the Armed Forces ranks. She believes in herself, and in her future. Watch Nastia’s story.

Artem endured the loss of his family, years in institutional care, and forced displacement caused by the war. During the hardest moments, mentors stood by him, offering support and opening new opportunities. Now, he volunteers with 3D – Let’s Help Children, hoping to be that source of support for others. Watch Artem’s story.

Each year, thousands of children in Ukraine leave state institutions without basic life skills or support. The 3D project and DIyMO initiative call on society to ensure that every child or young adult has a dependable adult by their side.

A video project by the 3D – Let’s Help Children NGO, in partnership with the DIyMO Children and Youth Office, highlights how mentorship can redirect the life path of a young person without family support.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Nastia, Artem, and their mentors in Lviv or online.

• children
• Lviv

On April 18, Kyiv will host a charity premiere of the documentary We Are Home. Directed by Roman Krasnoshchok and Anton Chistiakov, the film tells the deeply personal stories of children from across Ukraine who were forced to flee their homes and begin new lives in the Carpathians following the full-scale invasion. British comedian and writer Stephen Fry lends his voice to the narration.

A charity fundraiser will be held during the screening to benefit the Voices of Children Foundation, which supports Ukrainian children affected by the war. That same day, the film will also be released online – available on Apple TV in the United States and Amazon Prime Video worldwide – with all proceeds directed to the charity.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the film’s creative team and Azad Safarov, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation.

• children
• culture
• Kyiv

The social project “Come Out and Play!” was launched in Bucha and Irpin in June 2022 in response to the challenges these towns faced after liberation. Its main goal was to help children recover emotionally after living under occupation. Free soccer training was organized for school children, and in November 2022, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” was officially registered.

The training sessions are designed for boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12, including internally displaced children. Since its inception, over 600 children from Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Bucha, Irpin and Odesa have participated in the football program.

Today, the NGO “Come Out and Play!” also provides comprehensive psychosocial support to IDPs, children and people affected by the war. Services include individual and family counseling, group therapy, and art therapy. In addition, free legal counseling is provided, including assistance in recovering lost documents and applying for social benefits.

By prior arrangement, the project’s activities can be covered in Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Mykolaiv. Psychosocial football training takes place in these cities, and in Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, art therapy and legal training sessions are also conducted.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Dnipro
• Odesa
• Mykolaiv

In 2022, the Oskil school in the Kharkiv region endured six months under occupation by russian forces, resulting in significant damage. The school’s premises were heavily affected: the roof was compromised, windows shattered, and even the heating systems were ripped out.

Today, the school is in the process of being restored. Some classrooms and shelters have already been rebuilt, providing much-needed stability. Additionally, Save the Children has established a digital space within the school, offering a safe environment for children to learn, socialize, and regain a sense of security.

For reference: As part of the national initiative “Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities,” the Oskil and Chernihiv communities are planning to collaborate with partner communities to further strengthen their bonds.

• children
• occupation
• Kharkiv