There is a “lost generation” in Ukraine, that of children and young people who have never lived and experienced life outside the conflicts that have affected the country for eight years. Little women and men who cannot grow up peacefully, displaced from their homes, forced to wander in shelters and reception facilities, under the constant threat of military attacks, often separated from their parents and other members of their families. This constant threat to their physical safety, the psychosocial discomfort they experience, the weakening of the “safety nets” leads to risky behavior, hyperactivity, difficulty in relating to peers and a worsening of mental health and emotional well-being. What do they think about war, how do they live and manage constant fear, what will become of their future? Precisely to be close to this generation, the Diocese of Kamianets-Podilskyj of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church has thought of a child-friendly space (Child-Friendly Space, CFS) . The center will be built inside some premises of the diocese whose renovation is supported by the Emergency Coordination of the Focolare Movement (AMU and AFN), thanks to the contributions collected.
The Center
The center aims to provide psychosocial support to children through various recreational, artistic, non-formal education and awareness-raising activities on child protection issues. The activities will help children by encouraging them to express their fears, worries and hopes and return to a lifestyle more appropriate to their age. The center also reaches out to volunteers, assistants and parents to accompany and train them through rehabilitation courses and community awareness sessions on how to deal with child protection risks and how, if necessary, to seek support.
AMU’s contribution to the center’s renovation was covered by funds raised for the Ukrainian Emergency.
