Author:
Mariia Kucova
Following the full-scale invasion, the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation expanded its operations throughout Ukraine. On June 1, 2022, we established one of our Centers in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Here is a look at our team's achievements over the past two years and what lies ahead for our Center in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in the Western part of Ukraine.
Two psychologists and a small room: The humble beginnings of our Ivano-Frankivsk Children's Center
The Ivano-Frankivsk Center of the "Voices of Children" Foundation, was spearheaded by psychologists Tetiana Oboianska and Maryna Kononenko. In May 2022, following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, they began operating as a mobile outreach team. They visited shelters housing people who had left their homes due to the war, spreading awareness about the Foundation and the support services available to children and families.
Initially, the organization rented a small space for just a few hours, three days a week. There, they began organizing psychosocial activities for children and support groups. These sessions followed established programs such as "Children and War" (which helps children cope with trauma), "Safe Space" (creating secure environments for emotional expression), and "Series drawing" (a therapeutic art technique).
Within a few months, we were experiencing a rapidly growing demand for our services, and a few hours a week wasn't nearly enough,
recalls coordinator Viktoriia Merkulova, who joined our Center's team six weeks after its establishment.
recalls coordinator Viktoriia Merkulova, who joined our Center's team six weeks after its establishment.
The team moved into their permanent location in November 2022. By December, their work was running smoothly. Prior to this, the experts had been based at the Fortress Gallery "Bastion".
Our amazing team slowly grew bigger. We moved to different places, but we always focused on implementing our crucial mission: ensuring that no child is left alone with their experience of war,
said Tetiana Oboianska.
said Tetiana Oboianska.
Six members made up the final team of the Ivano-Frankivsk Center:
- Viktoriia Merkulova, Coordinator;
- Tetiana Oboianska, Team Leader and Psychologist;
- Maryna Kononenko, Psychologist;
- Kateryna Bazyl, Psychologist;
- Olha Yermolaieva, Leisure Specialist;
- Olena Buhorska, Administrator.
The Ivano-Frankivsk Center: A vital part of the community
My daughter always enjoys attending sessions at your Center. She learns many new and interesting things. Thank you for taking such good care of our children,
feedback on the Ivano-Frankivsk Center's work.
feedback on the Ivano-Frankivsk Center's work.
In its two years of operation, the "Voices of Children" Center in Ivano-Frankivsk had become a vital part of the community. Besides offering psychological support to children and parents and various psychosocial activities, the team conducted training sessions for educators, organized art therapy classes in schools for children with special educational needs, and addressed instances of bullying.
Throughout its operation, the Center's team has helped approximately 1,300 children and 500 adults, and has conducted an estimated:
- 920 individual consultations for children;
- 150 psychological group sessions for children;
- 430 psychosocial group sessions for children and adults;
- 30 psychological sessions for families.
A valuable experience in the Center's work was participating in the social campaign "Do You Hear What This Is About?", which urged adults to listen to children and truly hear them. One of the project's featured participants was 9-year-old Sofiia Murashova, who relocated with her mother from the Kharkiv region to Ivano-Frankivsk, while her father defends Ukraine in the military.
Sofiia began attending the "Voices of Children" Center, where she not only worked through her fear of the darkness but also discovered a talent for singing — a surprise even to her mother.
What is next?
As the "Voices of Children" Charitable Foundation focuses on crisis response, it is directing its main efforts to the Eastern part of Ukraine, where the security situation is highly dangerous due to the ongoing war. Consequently, the Center in Ivano-Frankivsk is winding down its operations.
However, the Foundation remains accessible to city and regional residents through online consultations:
- Via our Foundation's line: 0 800 210 106
- Through our Chatbot.
Importantly, "Voices of Children" does not leave an empty space behind. For instance, thanks to the Ivano-Frankivsk Center, Sofiia Murashova made a friend. It turned out the girls live in the same building, but without the Foundation, they might never have come across each other.
It's incredibly precious to me when children's friendships extend beyond our Center. An entire social ecosystem is being formed,
concluded Viktoriia Merkulova.
concluded Viktoriia Merkulova.
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