At the start of the year, the chances that Street Child, a charity resolutely focused on children in the world’s very toughest situations, would ever seek to work in Europe were close to zero.
However, six months ago and within 36 hours of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was clear to us that the looming scale of this disaster demanded that, despite the immense demands of our existing programmes in Africa and Asia, we should also try and do what we can here. Before February was out, the wheels were turning on our first grants into Ukraine.
This report lays out what we have managed to do so far, and our plans in the coming months.
AirLight, a local NGO supported through our flexible funding and our partner on our education programme reflected on the last six months of this response and the partnership with Street Child:
"Every third child was deprived of the opportunity to go to sleep in his own bed. Help for people who find themselves in difficult life circumstances is important evidence of caring, kindness and hope for better times. Our project uses psychosocial support, social-emotional training, and training on the prevention of risks associated with explosive objects; summer repair and equipment of educational facilities of Zaporizhzhia Oblast educational institutions, as well as providing teachers with appropriate resources, materials and skills to ensure children have access to life-saving and life-sustaining education."
"Thank you for your sensitivity and ability to empathize, your ability and desire to support those in need, for your solidarity with Ukraine and support for the children of Ukraine, for providing appropriate conditions for the education and development of our education seekers - the future of our Ukrainian state."
Ihor, AirLight