Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children have been forced to leave their homes, and in some parts of the country kindergartens and schools are still closed for security reasons. Together with local partners, Libereco has therefore set up two children’s centres in Kharkiv and Dnipro, where trained pedagogues take care of children in a trauma-sensitive manner.
The ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has forced almost 10 million people to flee their homes, including millions of children. 728,000 minors alone are living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine. Kharkiv and Dnipro, in the east of the country, have particularly become key reception locations.
Several hundred thousand IDPs live there, still in a state of insecurity. This is because the two cities are repeatedly under attack. Children in Kharkiv are unable to go to kindergarten or school – the danger is too great and the facilities will remain closed until further notice.
The children’s centres in Kharkiv and Dnipro
Imke Hansen from Libereco at the children’s centre in Kharkiv
Libereco and its local partners We are Brothers, we are Ukrainians (Kharkiv) and Angels of Salvation (Dnipro) have set up two safe children’s centres to give children in Dnipro and Kharkiv a taste of everyday life again. There, children and teenagers receive patient, tolerant, and trauma-informed care.
Like all people who have experienced war and crises, they need a place where they can process their experiences in a safe environment. As part of our FENIKS programme, we train pedagogues so that they can provide children and teenagers with psychosocial support and help them to cope with traumatic experiences.
Fun with painting with sand
What your contribution does
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- 5 € – a healthy meal for one child
- 20 € – therapeutic toys
- 50 € – learning material for one group
- 100 € – trauma-sensitive care for 25 children
- 200 € – psychosocial training for one carer
- 500 € – monthly utility costs for one children’s centre
- 1.500 € – monthly rent for one children’s centre
Your donation will enable the children’s centres to continue their work. We need donations for electricity, heating, and rent in order to continue to provide adequate meeting places for children. We also use your contribution to pay the salaries of the dedicated pedagogues, their trauma-informed training and seminars, and to subsidise the children’s meals.
The situation on site
English lessons at the children’s centre in Dnipro
The children’s centre in Kharkiv is located in the Saltivka district. This is one of the city’s largest residential areas. Situated less than 40 kilometres from the Russian border, up until February 2022 it had 300,000 inhabitants.
Saltivka has been under constant attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The children’s centre is therefore located in an air raid shelter. The rooms below a residential building have been remodelled to make them suitable for children and to ensure a minimum level of safety for children, parents, and childcare staff.
Due to the somewhat less tense security situation in Dnipro, the children’s centre there was able to be set up above ground. The city of millions on the river of the same name is not only a main transport hub for all people travelling within the country. It is also one of the most important Ukrainian cities for coordinating humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians. This is another reason why Libereco employees are constantly on site to check the situation on the ground and assess current needs.
