Ukrainian Children Dream Colorfully: How the June 1st Campaign Unfolded at the Foundation’s Centers

Author:

Mariia Kucova

Children's Day has already passed, but the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation still feels the warmth from the many events, mentions and outpouring of support. One of the highlights of our June 1st celebrations was "Children's Dreams" canvas-drawing campaign held across our regional Centers.

According to the Foundation's coordinators and leisure organizers, children eagerly embraced the idea of painting their dreams and fully immersed themselves in the process. Parents also joined in.

Two girls took the initiative and started first — it was the central drawing in the shape of a yellow-blue heart, inside which they left their handprints. The rest of the children enthusiastically joined them, many of them drawing Ukrainian symbols. The children actively discussed what to paint on the canvas and what it meant to them,
described Olena Makar, coordinator of the Lviv Center.

Ukrainian Children Dream Colorfully: How the June 1st Campaign Unfolded at the Foundation’s Centers — Image 1

Ukrainian Children Dream Colorfully: How the June 1st Campaign Unfolded at the Foundation’s Centers — Image 2

Most often, children depicted their desire for victory in the war. This was also the main theme when the Foundation's beneficiaries wrote letters about their dreams.

The children responded well to the activity, and drew various images. For example a stork symbolizing family and home in the center, dreams of freedom, liberty, and victory,
recalls Mariia Shurdenko, the coordinator of the Kyiv Center.

Some children were initially afraid to approach the canvas, but thanks to the Foundation's specialists' gentle encouragement and playful demonstrations, their fear melted away.

After we showed them an example, smeared our hands with paint, and made the handprints, the children enthusiastically joined in,
noted Mariia Sitnikova, leisure organizer at the Zaporizhzhia Center.

In Truskavets, the canvas-painting involved not only the Foundation's Center beneficiaries but also the wards from the Beryslav Inclusive Resource Center. A total of 30 children participated in the event.

All the children were happy to participate in all the activities, especially enjoying the painting. At the end of the celebration, all participants received souvenirs,
shared Nataliia Boiko, coordinator of the Truskavets Center.

Ukrainian Children Dream Colorfully: How the June 1st Campaign Unfolded at the Foundation’s Centers — Image 3

The other “Voices of Children” Centers also joined the campaign. Here’s how the beneficiaries of the Dnipro Center expressed their dreams in drawings:

Kryvyi Rih Center:

Mykolaiv Center:

Vysokyi Center:

Chernihiv Center:

Ivano-Frankivsk Center:

Chernivtsi Center:

Ternopil Center:

Even though Children's Day has passed, the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation continues its work. Our specialists help families with children cope with the consequences of the war in the following ways:

in person at regional Centers;
by the phone at 0 800 210 106;
via the chatbot.