Creative Activities are Building Children's Resilience
Jasmine Lehnis schrieb am 10.06.2024
Over 150 children in Lviv and rural communities are developing self-expression and resilience through our creative Aid in Wartime projects. This helps children who lost their homes because of war and local children who are parentless or in crisis.
Care in Action aims to help vulnerable children overcome trauma and gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in life. Creative activities are a powerful tool to achieve this goal. At our Creative Hub in Lviv, children and families who are internally displaced or facing difficult challenges can come for activities, therapy and social services.
In the first three months of 2024 our Hub was visited 586 times. We organised:
"Thank you very much for the opportunity for children to spend time in an interesting and useful way. You do everything calmly and harmoniously with love for children, and we, as parents, feel it. We were happy to be in your camp!” - Andriana Lystvak, mother from a family in crisis
“Thank you so much for this wonderful event! My daughter and I are delighted, renewed and relaxed! We hope to have more meetings like this!” -Kateryna Voloshchuk, mother from a displaced family
We organised a series of Easter themed events, so that displaced families can join in with the cultural activities of the area where they now live. About 50 children from families who were forced to leave their homes due to the war, as well as local families, attended celebrations at our Creative Hub. The children decorated eggs - a tradition to usher in Spring which goes back at least 1,000 years - and made decorations with willow branches. The children also participated in traditional spring dances and visited the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life.
Creative activities have a positive impact on children. They contribute to the development of self-expression, self-confidence and the ability to adapt to changes in the future.
The "Creativity in Action" project was launched in February 2024, to reach three villages of the Lviv region where there are high numbers of vulnerable children and a lack of services.
"It is very important for us to support children living in rural areas. In the Ukrainian context, there is a significant imbalance in educational opportunities and services for children. The goal of this project is to provide children with equal opportunities for creative development, regardless of where they live. By investing in children, we are investing in our future society.
“About 100 children from three villages in the Lviv region are participating in the 'Creativity in Action' project, including children with special educational needs, such as those with disabilities, children from care homes, and children who find themselves in difficult circumstances due to the war. It is extremely valuable for us to provide these children with opportunities to build resilience and develop their talents," said project coordinator Anastasia Lychak.
Group art classes are held weekly at local schools. Local teachers and artists choose a variety of topics to work on with the group. The children then have the opportunity to showcase their work at exhibitions.
The extracurricular creative clubs have been so well received that children, parents, and teachers want to continue the classes even after the school year ends!
"Thank you for starting the club and for the wonderful classes. My child loves the club, and it’s needed in the village so there is something to do after school. I used to think my child didn’t like drawing, but she really enjoys going to the classes!- Khrystyna, mother (Batyatychi village)
"I am grateful that our children have such an engaging club. Both girls and boys eagerly look forward to it. In these turbulent times, it's essential for our children to have a distraction. We look forward to continuing; it's always interesting and exciting, with something new every time. Thank you!"- Halyna, mother (Sasiv village)
We are expanding our creative and educational programs across Lviv communities to reach even more children. Special thanks to the Sternstunden foundation for funding many of these activities from April to November 2024, and to the donors of Care in Action for their ongoing support!
Care in Action aims to help vulnerable children overcome trauma and gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in life. Creative activities are a powerful tool to achieve this goal. At our Creative Hub in Lviv, children and families who are internally displaced or facing difficult challenges can come for activities, therapy and social services.
In the first three months of 2024 our Hub was visited 586 times. We organised:
- 26 workshops and excursions
- 3 week-long camps for children during school holidays
- 2 family-themed celebrations, including art-therapy and games on Mother’s Day when displaced mothers and children were far from their families
- Regular day care for children aged 3-6 years and after-school activities for children in grades 1-4
"Thank you very much for the opportunity for children to spend time in an interesting and useful way. You do everything calmly and harmoniously with love for children, and we, as parents, feel it. We were happy to be in your camp!” - Andriana Lystvak, mother from a family in crisis
“Thank you so much for this wonderful event! My daughter and I are delighted, renewed and relaxed! We hope to have more meetings like this!” -Kateryna Voloshchuk, mother from a displaced family
We organised a series of Easter themed events, so that displaced families can join in with the cultural activities of the area where they now live. About 50 children from families who were forced to leave their homes due to the war, as well as local families, attended celebrations at our Creative Hub. The children decorated eggs - a tradition to usher in Spring which goes back at least 1,000 years - and made decorations with willow branches. The children also participated in traditional spring dances and visited the Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life.
Creative activities have a positive impact on children. They contribute to the development of self-expression, self-confidence and the ability to adapt to changes in the future.The "Creativity in Action" project was launched in February 2024, to reach three villages of the Lviv region where there are high numbers of vulnerable children and a lack of services.
"It is very important for us to support children living in rural areas. In the Ukrainian context, there is a significant imbalance in educational opportunities and services for children. The goal of this project is to provide children with equal opportunities for creative development, regardless of where they live. By investing in children, we are investing in our future society.
“About 100 children from three villages in the Lviv region are participating in the 'Creativity in Action' project, including children with special educational needs, such as those with disabilities, children from care homes, and children who find themselves in difficult circumstances due to the war. It is extremely valuable for us to provide these children with opportunities to build resilience and develop their talents," said project coordinator Anastasia Lychak.
Group art classes are held weekly at local schools. Local teachers and artists choose a variety of topics to work on with the group. The children then have the opportunity to showcase their work at exhibitions.The extracurricular creative clubs have been so well received that children, parents, and teachers want to continue the classes even after the school year ends!
"Thank you for starting the club and for the wonderful classes. My child loves the club, and it’s needed in the village so there is something to do after school. I used to think my child didn’t like drawing, but she really enjoys going to the classes!- Khrystyna, mother (Batyatychi village)
"I am grateful that our children have such an engaging club. Both girls and boys eagerly look forward to it. In these turbulent times, it's essential for our children to have a distraction. We look forward to continuing; it's always interesting and exciting, with something new every time. Thank you!"- Halyna, mother (Sasiv village)
We are expanding our creative and educational programs across Lviv communities to reach even more children. Special thanks to the Sternstunden foundation for funding many of these activities from April to November 2024, and to the donors of Care in Action for their ongoing support!
Your support is what makes it possible for us to help these children.