Author:
The Foundation's team
A schoolyard in Kharkiv narrows into a staircase leading underground and a set of metal doors behind which classrooms have been moved below ground. This is where the Voices of Children team comes to work withClass 8-A: fifty colorful circles, blanks for New Year ornaments, and quiet activities accompanied by hesitant teenage conversations. After visiting the underground school, the team returns to the center, where onlinemeetings, preparations for upcoming activities, and tea with sweets for a little guest waiting for their parents are all happening at the same time.
Teenage journalists from our Foundation visited the Kharkiv center, as well as four other regional centers in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Lviv. Each of them spent a day alongside the team, observing, listening, and taking notes. This report tells the story of what they saw.
Teenage journalists from our Foundation visited the Kharkiv center, as well as four other regional centers in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Lviv. Each of them spent a day alongside the team, observing, listening, and taking notes. This report tells the story of what they saw.
Kharkiv Regional Center: Underground Schools and Outreach to Communities
Interviewed by Hanna Bulhakova, 16 years old, from Kharkiv
Stepping in from the cold, wet, gray streets, the center welcomes visitors with the pink sweater of its coordinator and shades of blue that feel unusual for times like these. The Kharkiv team has an interesting composition: a coordinator, psychologist, administrator, speech therapist, and manager. Among them are two Marynas, two Yanas, two Veronikas, two Yulias, and even two Olenas. As I later discovered, an entire family also works at the center, and that is something that says a lot about the atmosphere of this place.
My one-day journey began with a crowded car ride to an underground school. Today’s meeting was with Class 8-A. The school's wide courtyard narrows down to a staircase and post-apocalyptic metal doors behind whichteachers and specialists try, at least in part, to preserve warmth and make room for children’s and teenagers’ voices. The team’s workload is visible everywhere. Someone rushes off to an online meeting. Someone elseprepares for the next activity with children. Others somehow manage to do both at once.
At one point, a girl around eight or ten years old sat down next to me while waiting for her parents. She casually started telling me about her cat Vaska, her dog, and a girl from her class. And honestly, I was happy to listen.I remember a sense of unconditional hope and light, and it made me want to protect it, to help preserve it within her. I wanted the ground beneath her feet to feel stable and reliable. I wanted her life to contain enough good things to help her build a sense of inner grounding.
Stepping in from the cold, wet, gray streets, the center welcomes visitors with the pink sweater of its coordinator and shades of blue that feel unusual for times like these. The Kharkiv team has an interesting composition: a coordinator, psychologist, administrator, speech therapist, and manager. Among them are two Marynas, two Yanas, two Veronikas, two Yulias, and even two Olenas. As I later discovered, an entire family also works at the center, and that is something that says a lot about the atmosphere of this place.
My one-day journey began with a crowded car ride to an underground school. Today’s meeting was with Class 8-A. The school's wide courtyard narrows down to a staircase and post-apocalyptic metal doors behind whichteachers and specialists try, at least in part, to preserve warmth and make room for children’s and teenagers’ voices. The team’s workload is visible everywhere. Someone rushes off to an online meeting. Someone elseprepares for the next activity with children. Others somehow manage to do both at once.
At one point, a girl around eight or ten years old sat down next to me while waiting for her parents. She casually started telling me about her cat Vaska, her dog, and a girl from her class. And honestly, I was happy to listen.I remember a sense of unconditional hope and light, and it made me want to protect it, to help preserve it within her. I wanted the ground beneath her feet to feel stable and reliable. I wanted her life to contain enough good things to help her build a sense of inner grounding.
That made me realize that Voices of Children work often helps create exactly these kinds of “memories of resilience.” In many ways, it is a space of freedom where children are always heard and accepted.
- How did the center first open?
Veronika, Case Manager: We actually started working remotely before the center opened. We visited dormitories, told people about the Foundation’s services and what we do. We even planned the layout of the premises and oversaw the renovations ourselves.
- What do you enjoy most about your work?
Center Psychologist: Seeing results. Seeing someone arrive in one state and leave as a completely different person. When they start dreaming again, making plans for the future despite the war, when they begin living here and now. That inspires me tremendously: I understand I’m where I belong and that I can genuinely help people.
This is exactly what it’s all about — changing people’s lives for the better. Behind that phrase are real emotions of real people, finding relief from burdens both large and small with the help of other people who care, ofpeople brought together by Voices of Children and united by shared values.
It is hard for me to imagine the emotional investment that the Foundation’s staff bring into the lives of those they work with, especially children. The specialists do everything they can to ensure children can still experience a real childhood, and through that work, they are helping shape the future.
It is hard for me to imagine the emotional investment that the Foundation’s staff bring into the lives of those they work with, especially children. The specialists do everything they can to ensure children can still experience a real childhood, and through that work, they are helping shape the future.
Kyiv Regional Center: Warmth and Support Despite Air Raid Alerts
Interviewed by Halyna Kaplenko, 17 years old, from Bakhmut, Donetsk Region; Tymofii Nebykov, 19 years old, from New York, Donetsk Region; and Polina Starenka, 16 years old, from Vilshany, Kharkiv Region.
Kyiv greets us with the sound of an air raid alert. The door is opened by Anastasiia, a welcoming administrator who is simultaneously checking the news, trying to decide whether it is time to move everyone to a shelter.Life at the center never stops. The day begins with the team gathering and preparing spaces according to the schedule: consultations, group sessions. Some days, the team travels to children in remote communities. That iswhen the team packs backpacks with materials for creative activities.
The therapy rooms are spacious and bright, furnished with comfortable, soft furniture — everyone’s favorites. The waiting areas outside the rooms are designed especially for children. There are beanbags, shelves with toys, stress-relief toys of every kind, and a small library. Honestly, it feels like the sort of place where you could happily disappear for a few hours.
Preparation is always about creating a welcoming space for visitors, and for colleagues, too. Everything is built from small acts of care. Someone puts water on for coffee. Someone else brings treats. Today it was Tetiana, who arrived with cupcakes. In this sea of tasks and daily deadlines, it would be easy to lose yourself without a shared purpose and genuine care for one another. Working in a supportive team creates warmth. And we, aschildren, feel that warmth most sincerely of all.
Kyiv greets us with the sound of an air raid alert. The door is opened by Anastasiia, a welcoming administrator who is simultaneously checking the news, trying to decide whether it is time to move everyone to a shelter.Life at the center never stops. The day begins with the team gathering and preparing spaces according to the schedule: consultations, group sessions. Some days, the team travels to children in remote communities. That iswhen the team packs backpacks with materials for creative activities.
The therapy rooms are spacious and bright, furnished with comfortable, soft furniture — everyone’s favorites. The waiting areas outside the rooms are designed especially for children. There are beanbags, shelves with toys, stress-relief toys of every kind, and a small library. Honestly, it feels like the sort of place where you could happily disappear for a few hours.
Preparation is always about creating a welcoming space for visitors, and for colleagues, too. Everything is built from small acts of care. Someone puts water on for coffee. Someone else brings treats. Today it was Tetiana, who arrived with cupcakes. In this sea of tasks and daily deadlines, it would be easy to lose yourself without a shared purpose and genuine care for one another. Working in a supportive team creates warmth. And we, aschildren, feel that warmth most sincerely of all.
- What does a typical day at the center look like?
Anastasiia, Administrator: Very often, because of shelling, power outages, or air raid alerts, we wake up to a hundred messages about cancellations for all kinds of reasons. That means we constantly have to monitor registrations for our activities. Sometimes people sign up at midnight, and then we have to call them and explain that, unfortunately, there are no more spots available. So, I’m constantly keeping track of everything andmaking sure the schedule stays under control.
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What do you enjoy most about your work?
Marharyta, Psychologist: Most of all, I like talking with people. It feels real. Every person is different, and every story is unique. Also, I enjoy seeing results over time, especially when working with children. For example, if a child struggles with sleep, and after several sessions their sleep starts improving.
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What does it feel like before the workday begins?
Tania, Leisure Specialist: You can’t keep pressing the accelerator forever without burning out. Eventually the engine explodes. That’s why you need to begin with a calmer phase, like the preparation stage. Then thechildren arrive, and it’s like you switch on. It’s about using your energy wisely. Especially now, when we all need to preserve it a little more carefully.
Children, in many ways, reflect the emotional state and mood of society in real time. They are usually very distracted after nights of shelling. They seem to come in with energy, because that is a child’s basic state.
When you are a child, you have more energy, you want to move. But their concentration drops significantly, because it was still a sleepless night; some were taken to shelters. So, we shift to simple activities, simple communication, to help restore their psycho-emotional balance.
When you are a child, you have more energy, you want to move. But their concentration drops significantly, because it was still a sleepless night; some were taken to shelters. So, we shift to simple activities, simple communication, to help restore their psycho-emotional balance.
- What natural phenomenon would this year be?
Olha, Psychologist: Probably the wind. Sometimes it’s light and pleasant, and sometimes it turns into a storm. At times the workload is manageable, and at others it becomes incredibly intense, with activities at the center, visits to schools, meetings with journalists. And then things become calmer again.
Tania, Leisure Specialist: The wind before a thunderstorm. It’s spring, the leaves are already green, and suddenly dark clouds roll in. A powerful wind picks up, and you can feel that heavy rain is about to start. It has been a very intense six months. My colleague and I joined the team in the summer, right in the middle of the summer intensives with large groups of children every day. They were all on vacation, wanting to run, jump, build things, and make crafts. And honestly, that kind of vibrant energy has been with us constantly.
Over these years, there have already been so many painful events that have affected both children and adults. Even if the war ended tomorrow, we would still have enough work ahead of us for many years to come. I hope things become calmer. I hope the sun comes out and we enter a period of recovery, like spring. In spring, everything comes back to life. I hope the same happens in the hearts of the children who come to us.
Chernihiv Regional Center: Handmade Houses, Comfort, and Genuine Care
Interviewed by Oleksandra Nehovska, 15 years old, from Chernihiv
The Voices of Children center in Chernihiv is a space where, from the very first moments, you can feel comfort and genuine care. There are soft armchairs, children’s drawings displayed on shelves, and the quiet hum of conversations from nearby rooms. Families with very different stories come here. For some, it is the first step after experiencing difficult events. For others, it is an opportunity to help their child regain a sense of safety and stability. The highest demand for individual consultations comes after shelling and explosions in the city.
The Voices of Children center in Chernihiv is a space where, from the very first moments, you can feel comfort and genuine care. There are soft armchairs, children’s drawings displayed on shelves, and the quiet hum of conversations from nearby rooms. Families with very different stories come here. For some, it is the first step after experiencing difficult events. For others, it is an opportunity to help their child regain a sense of safety and stability. The highest demand for individual consultations comes after shelling and explosions in the city.
We even have a small waiting list now because we simply cannot physically see everyone who would like to come. Every day, several consultations take place,
The center offers both group activities and individual sessions with psychologists. The demand for individual consultations rises significantly after Russian shelling and explosions in the city. The shared room, where group activities and movie screenings take place, has an especially warm atmosphere. Children get to know one another, support each other, and learn how to work as a team.
I like working around children. When you see the results of your work — their smiles and joy — you understand what it is all for. Sometimes funny situations happen that lift your spirits. It is never boring here,
When I arrived, the team was preparing for an activity with younger schoolchildren. I helped run the session by preparing materials and then assisting the children during the activity itself. They were making little handmade houses, and it was incredibly sweet. At first, they were a bit shy, but before long they were asking what I was doing there, inviting me to join them, and asking for help whenever something did not go according to plan. Then they started eagerly showing each other what they had made.
I immediately felt that atmosphere myself when I came to the center. It was clear that the people there genuinely love their work and everything around them. They are attentive, sincere, and warm. I was happy to be there, to help, and to experience all these processes from the inside.
I immediately felt that atmosphere myself when I came to the center. It was clear that the people there genuinely love their work and everything around them. They are attentive, sincere, and warm. I was happy to be there, to help, and to experience all these processes from the inside.
Lviv Regional Center: Support for Internally Displaced Families and a Safe Space
Interviewed by Anna Kriuchkova, 17 years old, from Rozivka, Zakarpattia region, and Oleksandra Taranukha, 15 years old, from Hola Prystan, Kherson region
We received a very warm welcome at the Lviv center. We were offered tea and sweets, and from the very first minutes it was clear that the team genuinely strives to create an atmosphere of safety and comfort for children.
The space does not look like an office or a psychologist’s office in the conventional sense. There are two rooms designed for group activities. Here, children draw, play board games, learn to recognize their emotions, and practice talking about them.
There are also two separate rooms for individual sessions with psychologists, where children can spend time alone and talk in a calm and private setting. Parents have their own waiting area where they can enjoy a cup of tea and get to know other families. Many of the children who attend the center are internally displaced.
When you ask where people are from, you hear answers like Dnipro, Kyiv, Druzhkivka, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv. We spoke with several children. Some told us about their day, while others proudly showed us Christmas tree ornaments they were making out of clay. They were open and sincere, and they spoke warmly about the psychologists at the center.
We received a very warm welcome at the Lviv center. We were offered tea and sweets, and from the very first minutes it was clear that the team genuinely strives to create an atmosphere of safety and comfort for children.
The space does not look like an office or a psychologist’s office in the conventional sense. There are two rooms designed for group activities. Here, children draw, play board games, learn to recognize their emotions, and practice talking about them.
There are also two separate rooms for individual sessions with psychologists, where children can spend time alone and talk in a calm and private setting. Parents have their own waiting area where they can enjoy a cup of tea and get to know other families. Many of the children who attend the center are internally displaced.
When you ask where people are from, you hear answers like Dnipro, Kyiv, Druzhkivka, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv. We spoke with several children. Some told us about their day, while others proudly showed us Christmas tree ornaments they were making out of clay. They were open and sincere, and they spoke warmly about the psychologists at the center.
One girl shared that she used to argue with her mother quite often, but after attending activities at the center, she learned how to communicate without aggression. Psychologist Vika explained that the girl had initially been very shy, but now she is gradually discovering and expressing her creative potential.
The center offers creative workshops, clay modeling, art therapy sessions, board games designed to strengthen interaction skills, and individual consultations with psychologists. Yet the most important thing is not the activities themselves, but the atmosphere. Children receive the emotional resources they need to cope with the traumatic consequences of war. They learn to understand their emotions and not be afraid to talk about them.
The center is coordinated by Anna. She works alongside specialists Mariia and Vika. The team is small, but incredibly sincere and open. It is obvious that they genuinely care about every child who comes through the door. Most visitors are children under the age of twelve. Mariia shared that she would love to involve more teenagers, because they need support too.
The center is coordinated by Anna. She works alongside specialists Mariia and Vika. The team is small, but incredibly sincere and open. It is obvious that they genuinely care about every child who comes through the door. Most visitors are children under the age of twelve. Mariia shared that she would love to involve more teenagers, because they need support too.
After our visit, we were left with the feeling that this place is all about support, care, and small steps toward recovery. And those steps truly matter.
Zaporizhzhia Regional Center: Working in a Frontline City and the Magic of Small Details
Interviewed by Hanna Shevchenko, 17 years old, and Anhelina Yehorova, 15 years old, both from Zaporizhzhia. Text by Hanna Shevchenko
The Voices of Children center in Zaporizhzhia welcomes us warmly and openly. From the moment you arrive, you are immersed in a friendly atmosphere where the team works together seamlessly. There is still cake and pastries left over from lunch in the kitchen, and before we even have a chance to settle in, we are offered tea. Children of different ages come here for support and activities, although most visitors are primary school students between six and nine years old. One of the biggest challenges right now is socialization after long periods of remote learning and forced isolation from their communities.
The center’s team includes case managers, leisure specialists, lawyers, psychologists, and speech therapists. At the same time, as anyone who works with children knows, the job is always unpredictable. Sometimes a case manager ends up making popcorn at an outreach event, while a leisure specialist helps transport furniture.
The Voices of Children center in Zaporizhzhia welcomes us warmly and openly. From the moment you arrive, you are immersed in a friendly atmosphere where the team works together seamlessly. There is still cake and pastries left over from lunch in the kitchen, and before we even have a chance to settle in, we are offered tea. Children of different ages come here for support and activities, although most visitors are primary school students between six and nine years old. One of the biggest challenges right now is socialization after long periods of remote learning and forced isolation from their communities.
The center’s team includes case managers, leisure specialists, lawyers, psychologists, and speech therapists. At the same time, as anyone who works with children knows, the job is always unpredictable. Sometimes a case manager ends up making popcorn at an outreach event, while a leisure specialist helps transport furniture.
- What is life like at the Zaporizhzhia center?
Marusia, Center Coordinator: I wish everything could always be fun, exciting, and easy with children, but there is also a huge amount of methodological and preparation work behind the scenes. Sashko's job involves much more than leading leisure activities. For example, before you arrived, Katia was preparing materials for those little houses. There have been times when all of us sat together cutting out fifty colorful paper circles.
What feels especially important is that the center operates in a frontline city while a large part of the Zaporizhzhia region remains under occupation. In these circumstances, children need attention, stability, and support more than ever, and the Foundation’s center team is ready to provide it.
For me, the Zaporizhzhia center is above all about people. Very warm, attentive, and sincere specialists work here. They are the ones who truly love what they do. And the children they work with. You can feel it in every interaction — in the calm, support, and trust that fill this space,
Every contribution matters.
At our regional centers, children and teenagers can find a community of like-minded peers, receive psychological support, and take part in creative activities and games. Anyone who needs help can also contact our free psychological support helpline for children and parents at 0 800 210 106.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, together with our donors and partners, we have supported more than 162,000 children and their parents. But the war continues, and even more children need our support. To continue our work and reach even more families, we need your help.
You can make a donation in any way that is convenient for you, become a monthly donor, or help by sharing information about our work with others.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, together with our donors and partners, we have supported more than 162,000 children and their parents. But the war continues, and even more children need our support. To continue our work and reach even more families, we need your help.
You can make a donation in any way that is convenient for you, become a monthly donor, or help by sharing information about our work with others.
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