Author:
Євгенія Малащук
April was a particularly creative month at the Voices of Children Foundation’s regional centers. In preparation for Easter, children and their parents decorated pysanky—traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs decorated using a wax-resist method, featuring intricate patterns and symbols. They also tried weaving, made paper artworks, and even held an Emotions Day event to release their feelings.
In April, over 2,200 children and adults reached out to our regional centers for support. Our specialists held nearly 1,000 individual consultations, 135 psychological group sessions, and more than 300 psychosocial activities.
In April, over 2,200 children and adults reached out to our regional centers for support. Our specialists held nearly 1,000 individual consultations, 135 psychological group sessions, and more than 300 psychosocial activities.
Pysanka Art in Chernivtsi: How Sofiia Lost Her Collection during the War, and Created a New One at Our Session
Ahead of Easter, our team in Chernivtsi hosted a pysanka workshop. One of the participants was 12-year-old Sofiia, who came with her mother—and impressed everyone with her skills.
It turned out Sofiia had held a pysachok (a special stylus used to apply wax designs) many times before. Back home in Kharkiv, she had been part of a pysanka art group since first grade. Over the years, she built a whole collection of hand-decorated eggs. But in 2022, the family’s home was destroyed by Russian shelling. The collection burned with it. Only a few pysanky survived—the ones kept at her grandmother’s house.
Sofiia and her mother, Tetiana, relocated to Chernivtsi, but she never gave up the tradition. Every Easter, they spend time together decorating pysanky. This time, they prepared an entire basket—about 20 pysanky—and gave them as gifts to new friends they’ve made in Chernivtsi. They also always look for local Easter-themed events where they can enjoy the holiday spirit and decorate eggs together with others.
It turned out Sofiia had held a pysachok (a special stylus used to apply wax designs) many times before. Back home in Kharkiv, she had been part of a pysanka art group since first grade. Over the years, she built a whole collection of hand-decorated eggs. But in 2022, the family’s home was destroyed by Russian shelling. The collection burned with it. Only a few pysanky survived—the ones kept at her grandmother’s house.
Sofiia and her mother, Tetiana, relocated to Chernivtsi, but she never gave up the tradition. Every Easter, they spend time together decorating pysanky. This time, they prepared an entire basket—about 20 pysanky—and gave them as gifts to new friends they’ve made in Chernivtsi. They also always look for local Easter-themed events where they can enjoy the holiday spirit and decorate eggs together with others.
Choosing a design for your pysanka is a meaningful and thoughtful process. It depends on what you want to express to the world. At the workshop hosted by our Foundation, Sofiia chose intricate graphic patterns, while her mother focused on symbols of family and love.
Weaving in Truskavets: How Varia Turns Yarn into Small Figures—and Finds Calm
Weaving workshops are held weekly at our regional center in Truskavets. If you imagine weaving as a slow, complex process that results in a rug, think again. In one hour or more, children create woolen keychains and bracelets, coasters, and even animal figures or favourite cartoon characters.
These workshops are led by our recreation specialist, Khrystyna Bilas. Before joining Voices of Children, Khrystyna worked at the Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum in Truskavets, and she has long been passionate about traditional weaving.
These workshops are led by our recreation specialist, Khrystyna Bilas. Before joining Voices of Children, Khrystyna worked at the Mykhailo Bilas Art Museum in Truskavets, and she has long been passionate about traditional weaving.
I can weave belts and sashes. When I started working at the Foundation, I suggested we adapt this craft for our young visitors. Of course, traditional weaving would be too difficult and time-consuming for children, so my husband made portable looms that they can use to create small fabric pieces.
Using them, kids learn to weave animals—cats, foxes, bees, birds, and characters from fairytales and cartoons. I’m glad that not only younger children come to these sessions, but also teenagers, who are usually more difficult to engage,
Using them, kids learn to weave animals—cats, foxes, bees, birds, and characters from fairytales and cartoons. I’m glad that not only younger children come to these sessions, but also teenagers, who are usually more difficult to engage,
Fourteen-year-old Varia has been weaving for several months now, and she’s truly hooked. Staying focused for an hour or more is not easy, especially for children, but Varia manages it by coming with friends. While another figure is being created, they chat and play trivia games, and the time flies.
This is so good for children. They focus and concentrate. As a result, they learn to be patient and attentive. It improves fine motor skills. But most importantly, it helps them release emotions,
Emotions Day in Kryvyi Rih: How Dana and Sofiia Tore Paper—and Learned to Let Go of Anger
In the Kryvyi Rih regional center, the children enjoyed releasing stress so much that cleaning up took a lot of time. This is what we did at our regional center in Kryvyi Rih during our special Emotions Day event. First, the children got to know each other and formed a circle of support. They played games to learn how to identify different emotions and to distinguish them. They also discussed how to release negative emotions in a way that doesn’t hurt other people or their relationships. And then, they put that into practice.
They gave us a bunch of paper and said we could tear it and throw it,
The paper was old newspapers and magazines that the center workers had brought from home. Usually, it’s used for paper sculpture workshops in the center where kids create 3D figures. On Emotions Day, the children turned that paper into a joyful mess.
Everyone was sweaty and smiling. And afterward, the children offered to help clean up—exactly as we’d hoped. We didn’t even have to ask. After their paper party, they quickly straightened up,
Share: