Experts on the Move: The "Voices of Children" Team in Chernivtsi Adopts a New Approach, Now Assisting Children with a Mobile Outreach Team

Author:

Mariia Kucova

The "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation has restructured its Center in Chernivtsi into a mobile outreach team. The team has focused more on education, leading to the signing a memorandum of cooperation with the Department of Education of the Chernivtsi City Council.

At local kindergartens, the Foundation's psychologists, Olena Lisova and Viktoriia Yakubenko, have begun conducting group sessions for children using the therapeutic and developmental program "Safe Space". Participants build emotional resilience through play and creativity, and practice various breathing and physical exercises for calming and relaxation.

We combine the program with art therapy, which the children absolutely love. Each session includes many different activities, and the children switch between them quickly. This prevents them from becoming distracted,

explained Viktoriia Yakubenko.

Another area of activity of the "Voices of Children" mobile outreach team is collaboration with the "Vilna" space, affiliated with "UNFPA". During creative workshops, girls and women (aged 13 and above) not only craft handmade items but also connect with like-minded individuals.

In addition, the team received a request from one of the city's lyceums for resource recovery sessions for educators. The activities are tentatively scheduled to start in September.

How it all started

The Chernivtsi "Voices of Children" team has been operating as a regional Center for over two years, since May 19, 2022. The first public event took place on June 1st in "Zhovtnevyi" Park to mark Children's Day.

Psychologist Tetiana Aslanian from Sloviansk in the Donetsk region had a pivotal role in establishing the Chernivtsi Сenter. She found the premises, assembled the initial team, and provided materials for work from her psychological center, which she had evacuated from Sloviansk. Although Tetiana no longer works at the Foundation, her work continues to make a difference.

The "Voices of Children" team in Chernivtsi has evolved over time. Initially, Anastasiia Shynkovych served as the coordinator, followed by Oleksandr Penteleichuk, both of whom later took on roles as psychologists.

Anastasiia and Oleksandr both have psychotherapy degrees, so it was crucial to fully utilize their professional potential in supporting children,

emphasized Olena Lisova.

Later, Iryna Shestakova, who was initially a beneficiary of "Voices of Children", joined the team. Due to the war she was forced to relocate from Kharkiv to Chernivtsi with her two daughters, where she came across the Foundation's regional Center. After participating in the "Save the Warmth" campaign, which involved making scarves and hats from donated materials for displaced people in various regions of Ukraine, Iryna was invited to join the team at the Chernivtsi Center.

There was a great need for a coordinator. The psychologists had many requests, and they needed someone to handle all the administrative work. Working in this role, with this team, really brought me to life,

Iryna said.

The longest period was when Iryna Shestakova was the coordinator and administrator, while Oleksandr Penteleichuk, Anastasiia Shynkovych, and Olena Lisova were the psychologists.

Services provided by the Chernivtsi Center

Throughout its operation, the Center’s team has helped approximately 900 children and 520 adults, and has conducted an estimated:

445 individual consultations for children and 286 — for adults;
154 psychological group sessions for children and 108 — for adults;
394 psychosocial group sessions for children and adults;
36 psychological sessions for families.

The Foundation's specialists provided resource-building sessions incorporating art therapy, body-oriented therapy, and rhythm therapy to help children and parents strengthen their emotional and psychological resources. Parents particularly valued the psychological transformation games such as "Psychosomatics" (which addresses symptoms of psychosomatic disorders for further therapy) and "Life Capital" (which explores various aspects of financial life and business), along with creative neurographic art sessions.

Our parents initiated many activities themselves. For instance, two mothers who are professionally trained in neurographic art, regularly led these sessions. Another beneficiary even suggested and facilitated the "Life Capital" transformation game,

says Olena Lisova.

Family-format activities exploring Ukrainian traditions became popular among Center visitors. These included painting Pysankas (Easter eggs), preparing carnival Malanka costumes and participating in its celebration, joyful spring khorovod (traditional dance) in nature, and a Veles Night-style party among other activities.

Lego and board game sessions with teenagers, a film club, toy library, "Not-A-Camp" intensives for children, and joint family hikes in the natural areas surrounding the city also proved to be successful.

It is crucial to highlight that we prioritize incorporating a psychological component into all our outings to ensure they are as meaningful as possible, empowering participants to become their most resourceful selves,

Olena Lisova emphasized.

During the Center's operation, elementary school children and teenagers created and performed two shadow theater productions. The children developed plots, characters, and dialogues themselves.

The Chernivtsi "Voices of Children" team also supports professionals who work with children. They offer a training program called "Teachers, School Psychologists, and War" specifically for educators. Additionally, they collaborate with doctors, teachers, and student groups upon request, focusing on activities designed to strengthen their resources.

Feedback on the work of "Voices of Children" in Chernivtsi

Both children and parents observe positive changes in their mental state after participating in the Foundation's activities. Participants are learning how to handle their emotions and read the emotions of others.

We started spending more time together as a family, sharing feelings and emotions. The children developed a greater sense of empathy and kindness.

The Foundation's work in Chernivtsi is crucial for children affected by the war. One beneficiary, under the guidance of psychologists, created a series of drawings expressing her fear and pain from experiences at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. She fled with her mother from an occupied town in the Kyiv region; and learned that Russian soldiers settled in their apartment, destroying many belongings. Drawing became one of the ways for the girl to heal.

Moreover, the activities of "Voices of Children" contribute to the adaptation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), who do not know anyone in their new location and feel isolated.

Since we are strangers in this city, my daughter lacked social interaction outside of school. The "Voices of Children" changed that. Thank you.

Socialization is especially important for children who often study online and lack opportunities for live communication and making friends. Thanks to our Foundation's team in Chernivtsi, a community of active teenagers capable of influencing community life has formed.

Follow the link to support the work of our foundation in psychological and psychosocial support for children and parents.