Author:
Mariia Kucova
Over 21 million Ukrainians were reminded of the importance of listening to and understanding their children. Excluding the “United News” telethon, this is the number of people who were reached by our social campaign “Do You Hear What This Is About?”.
We invite you to explore the real stories of the project's participants, who courageously chose to tell about their fears and worries to the whole country.
"I Am No Longer Afraid of the Dark": The Real Story of 9-Year-Old Sofiia from Kharkiv Region
With the start of the large-scale invasion, nine-year-old Sofiia was forced to leave her native Pisochyn in Kharkiv region. Eventually, she and her mother settled in Ivano-Frankivsk, and her father became a defender of the country.
Due to the horrors of war, the girl developed a fear of the dark (nyctophobia), which psychologists from the Ivano-Frankivsk "Voices of Children" Center helped her manage.
Because I have been drawing — I am not afraid of the dark anymore. Somehow it helped me, I do not know how. I just drew what I wanted — and that is it,
Sofia said.
Sofia said.
The girl was able to share her experiences with her mother only two months after starting classes with a psychologist. Why she did not talk about it before — she could not explain.
Smiling Despite the Sadness: The Real Story of Seven-Year-Old Mark from Luhansk Region
Because of the war, seven-year-old Mark had to move from Lysychansk city (Luhansk region) to Lviv. His grandfather and grandmother, whom the boy misses very much, remained in his hometown.
Mark has been attending the Lviv “Voices of Children” Center since its opening. There, he receives emotional support, helping him understand his feelings and learn effective coping strategies. Specifically, Mark’s yearning to return home to Lysychansk reflects his determination to stay connected to his relatives.
Overall, Mark is described as a very energetic, sociable, and cute boy, even though he feels sad.
“I Want to Hide When the Rockets Fly”: The Real Story of 13-Year-Old Nastia from Donetsk Oblast
Nastia has known the war since 2014, when it first reached her hometown of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region. Currently, the 13-year-old girl lives in a relatively safe Lviv. But the fear of shelling has not left her, as she worries during mass shelling and always tries to be prepared.
I want to hide when the rockets fly, because at times, they even reach Lviv,
Nastia shares.
Nastia shares.
The evacuation to Lviv was not easy. Train service was disrupted by shelling, forcing the family to wait over 10 hours. With so many people crammed together, they could only sit on their backpacks. Finally, the train arrived, and the journey itself took more than a day.
In Lviv, Nastia's family was taken in by relatives, but then they had to look for housing on their own. Life is slowly getting back to normal: the girl went to a local school and found new friends. This was facilitated by the specialists of the "Voices of Children" Lviv Center.
By the way, Nastia created one of the illustrations for the book "War through the Voices of Children". The drawing depicts a lake with a boat, evoking memories of home for the girl. Before the invasion, she with her relatives or friends, often swam in one of the such lakes near Kramatorsk.
“I Felt Like I Was in a Maze”: The Real Story of 7-Year-Old Sashko from Mykolaiv
When the Russian army launched a large-scale invasion and blew up the water supply, Sashko and his family left their native Mykolaiv for Germany. But adapting to a new life abroad proved difficult for the 7-year-old. In Germany, a change came over him. He started getting into fights with his peers, despite previously being quiet and calm. He also fell ill frequently.
I felt like I did not belong there. Like I was lost in a maze,
Sashko shared.
Sashko shared.
Conflicts arose not only with peers, but also with adults. He started the first grade at a local school, but sadly, could not understand their local language. Drawing in class became his escape, but the teacher did not like it.
Sashko's return to Ukraine with his family was not a cure-all. The boy still got into fights and did not want to be friends with anyone.
Then, his acquaintances suggested the local "Voices of Children" Center, and that is where things turned around.
Making friends used to be hard, and saying "hello" felt strange. But at the Center, I can play, run around, and even make new friends! Drawing there really calms me down too,
Sashko shared.
Sashko shared.
Unable to Speak or Sleep: The Real Story of Zlata and Nazar from Kryvyi Rih
Zlata and her brother Nazar live in Kryvyi Rih. In the summer of 2023, a Russian missile struck their house. The children survived, but suffered serious psychological trauma.
It made the girl unable to speak for two days, she developed sleep problems and could no longer fall asleep at night. Her brother completely withdrew into himself. Then their mother Yaroslava decided to ask for help from the "Voices of Children" Foundation.
The day a missile strike happened, the "Voices of Children" team came to my house, and we talked. After a month, I realized that I could not bring my children back to their normal lives on my own. So, I reached out for help to "Voices of Children",
said Zlata and Nazar's mother.
said Zlata and Nazar's mother.
At first, the brother and sister attended camps and art therapy, and later — consultations with psychologists. According to Yaroslava, the children began to "come alive".
Lost Home and Dreams: The Real Story of 17-Year-Old Viktoria from Kherson Region
The large-scale invasion found 17-year-old Viktoriia in a vocational school’s dormitory in Kherson. After several relocations, her family settled in Lviv. Since then, the girl has been missing her home very much.
Home is calling me strong. Especially at such moments when I realize that I can not take it anymore — I feel overwhelmed by the pressure,
Viktoriia shared.
Viktoriia shared.
The village of Stanislav, where the girl was born, is under near-daily shelling by the Russian occupation army.
Viktoriia is currently studying in Odessa, but her life extends beyond academics. She is now the head of the "Voices of Children" Youth Council and helps organize leisure and therapeutic activities for the Foundation.
Perhaps this is Viktoriia's way of healing herself, but sadly now, she can't even plan for the future.
Results of the Social Campaign "Do You Hear What This Is About?"
As mentioned earlier, the social campaign reached a total of 21 million Ukrainians, excluding viewers of the "Yedyni novyny" (United News) telethon. The project also led to a 25% increase in calls to "Voices of Children" Centers and a threefold increase in calls to our helpline: 0800210106.
The campaign even impacted the children featured in it. Though they knew their images would be on billboards, they were still surprised by the scale.
I thought there would be one small billboard somewhere in Ukraine, but it turns out I am very close and there are many of me! (i.e. I am all over the place!)
Sashko shared.
Sashko shared.
The participants of the campaign believe they have influenced the willingness of children and adults to seek psychological help when needed.
I think my ad has really helped kids and even adults,
Sofiia shared.
Sofiia shared.
Victoriia's own experience demonstrates that psychologists are nothing to be ashamed of, and one can seek their help, if necessary. When her friend faced challenges, Viktoriia's encouragement led them to see a psychologist, as a result the friend is feeling better now. Perhaps Viktoriia's influence extends beyond just her friend.
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