Meet Ivan, a 7 year-old boy from Kharkiv, Ukraine.* 

When the situation in Kharkiv worsened, it became too dangerous for Ivan and his family to remain. They moved to another part of Ukraine to find a safer place to stay. 

In 2022, Ivan, like many other Ukrainian children, started school in a new city, leaving everything he knew and loved behind. 

He came to one of Street Child’s educational spaces, but he found this very challenging. He cried a lot and did not want to leave his mother. It was clear that he was anxious and had difficulty communicating with his peers. 

Gradually, step by step, Ivan started to get used to the other children in the group, and to the education and psychosocial specialists who would meet with him. Using various exercises, game techniques, art therapy, and their usual friendly attitude, our partners managed to help Ivan manage his stress levels and begin to ease into this transition. 

As he worked more with the team, Ivan became much more open and cheerful. He even began to make new friends in the group as he was able to express himself through creativity and games. 

Street Child and our local partners have been establishing safe spaces across Ukraine where displaced children can receive psychosocial and learning support. We have reached over 16,000 children across 17 regions of Ukraine. 

With your support, we will be able to support many more children like Ivan across Ukraine, helping them feel safe through this ongoing emergency.   

*name changed for safeguarding.