Themes by tag: children

14-year-old Matvii Hlazunov fled the war twice: in 2014 from Avdiivka in Donetsk region to Izyum in Kharkiv region, and in 2022 his family was forced to move to Mukachevo in Zakarpattia region. The boy reflects on these events in his animated films. He makes each character and designs each stage himself, then captures all the movements on camera and edits the cartoon. In 2021, his film “Melissa” won the Grand Prix at the Children Kinofest International Festival. The following year, with the film “Black February”, Matvii won in the festival’s nomination “Best animated film.” “Down the Rock” is the latest and the third cartoon by the young artist, which made it to the finals of the Children Kinofest.

Important notice: Matvii and his family are currently in Odesa, ready to talk with journalists, both online and offline.

• children
• culture
• occupation

On August 17, another rotation will start at the camp supporting the psychological and emotional state of teenagers from Kherson region, who suffered as a result of hostilities and by the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP caused by the occupiers. The camp is located in Truskavka, Lviv region. For 14 days, the visitors will focus on restoring their psycho-emotional state with the help of professional trainers and psychologists. Every day, teenagers will play outdoor games, engage in physical activity, attend trainings and master classes.

For reference: Leisure for teenagers from Kherson region is organized by the Coordination Center “Power of Youth” of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy together with the “JuniorS” NGO.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Lviv

Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske village is located near Chernihiv. At the beginning of the full-scale war, it was under occupation for more than a month. In March 2022, two russian missiles hit the local lyceum: the first and second floors of the building and the sports ground were destroyed.

The computer science, chemistry, physics, biology and defense of Ukraine classrooms, as well as the archive were also destroyed. The gym was damaged too.

Currently, the charitable foundation “savED” is helping to restore the lyceum (this foundation restores access to education in communities affected by the war).

Also, as part of the efforts by UNITED24, global initiative to support Ukraine, a charity match was held in London, where Ukrainian football players Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko took to the field to raise funds to restore Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske Lyceum in Chernihiv region.

• children
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Chernihiv

Benjamin is a lawyer from Dusseldorf, Germany. Since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, the man has been helping Ukrainians. For instance, he sheltered a family from Kyiv in his own house, delivered about 40 tons of aid to Ukrainian cities and villages: for this he had to make 15 trips. Benjamin collects and delivers clothes, medicines, equipment and water purification systems. Voices of Children Charitable Foundation coordinates where this aid is most needed.

Benjamin renovated and equipped a room for children’s study and recreation in a dormitory for displaced persons in Kharkiv. Also, together with Voices of Children, the man is planning to create an art therapy workshop for the children.

Benjamin is currently in Ukraine and is ready to talk to the media.

• casualties
• children
• volunteers

On Thursday, August 3, “Okhmatdyt” National Children’s Specialized Hospital doctors will conduct mobile consultations for children in Makariv, Kyiv Oblast.

All children from the city and community are welcome to participate. The visit of the capital’s medical professionals is part of the charitable project “Health Treasury.”

Doctor appointments are available with:

• Olha Medvedieva (Head of the Pediatric Department at “Okhmatdyt”)

• other health professionals

• Vadym Tokar, the mayor of Makariv (about the city’s restoration after the occupation and the healthcare system overview)

• parents, and children living in Makariv.

The “Okhmatdyt” Children’s Hospital specialists have conducted nearly 50 medical services visits of a kind in the past year, including in the liberated cities of Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Chernihiv Oblasts.

• children
• doctors
• Kyiv

Oleh, Yaroslav, Hlib, and their grandmother Oleksandra left their native village of Hnutove, which was one of the first settlements to experience the horror of a full-scale Russian offensive. Seeking salvation, the family went to Mariupol, but later it was besieged by Russians. Later, there was no electricity, gas, water, or service. The children and their grandmother had to survive literally. They stayed in the basement for two months. They managed to escape the occupation in their native village by being subjected to filtration in the notorious camp system. Recently, thanks to donors, the Voices of Children Charity Foundation bought a house for a family in the Kyiv region.

In 2017, Oleh became the protagonist of the Danish director’s documentary The Distant Barking of Dogs, which told the story of Ukrainians on the front line that was shortlisted among 15 candidates for the 2019 Oscars in the Best Documentary Feature.

• casualties
• children
• occupation

Canine specialists of Base 4.5.0. the Center for Innovative Military Rehabilitation will hold canine therapy sessions in the capital. Several trained dogs were chosen for therapy: Welsh corgi Foksi and Laisve, German boxer Linda, and Yorkshire terrier Shusha. The center experts say that during their first sessions they worked with the children who had stopped speaking after the beginning of russia’s invasion. However, after working with animals, the children started talking again. Canine therapists say that working with dogs normalizes the work of the nervous system, reduces stress, conflict and anxiety.

For reference: Canine therapy is a method of positive psychosocial and physical rehabilitation influence on people with the help of specially trained dogs. It is one of the methods of zootherapy.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv

14-year-old Taisiia cannot fully engage in her favorite activity – drawing, because there is no bomb shelter in her art school. The institution is located in Saltivka (Kharkiv district, which suffered greatly as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion). The shelling even caused school windows to shatter. Currently, they are planning to auction off drawings, the money will be used to set up the bomb shelter.

The shelter will allow children to work offline and return to in-person communication.

After the victory, the students of the school plan to use the shelter as a gallery in the future.

• children
• russian crimes
• Kharkiv

To help children survive the psychological consequences of the war, the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation organizes summer camps in various cities of the country. Children of military personnel and prisoners, as well as those who left the occupation or front-line territories were invited to free psychosocial support camps.

Children participate in various activities: trips, camping, sports games, master classes, volunteering. Special attention is paid to the psycho-emotional state. Experienced psychologists of the Foundation hold group and individual classes with children.

Day camps are held in Lviv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kryvyi Rih, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, Skhidnytsia. There are also camping sites with overnight stays in Mukachevo, Uzhhorod and Lviv.

Background: During the year of the full-scale war, Voices of Children Charitable Foundation provided psychological and psychosocial assistance to 4,700 children and more than 1,800 adults.

• children
• Dnipro
• Ivano-Frankivsk
• Lviv
• Uzhhorod

The WOMAN AND WAR psychologists charity platform helps and supports women and children affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that regard, specialists have developed various group therapies: those for mothers, for women abroad, for women who lost a loved one during the war, for military wives, and teenagers.

In 15 months, the team has assisted nearly 7000 women and children.

Journalists can talk to the charity platform psychologist, as well as to participants who have applied for help by prior arrangement. 

• children
• psychological support
• volunteers
• women