#HelpUkraine AVSI’s response in Ukraine

We immediately distributed life-saving food and non-food products, personal hygiene kits, COVID-19 protection kits, money, and winter kits.

In reception centers (5 in Lviv and 28 in the Poltava region), we helped coordinating volunteers, took a census of families, identified particularly vulnerable individuals or people with special needs (women, separated or unaccompanied minors, disabled), and referred them to competent professionals.

Moreover, we equipped 28 centres in the Poltava region with electric radiators and trained the educators of 5 centers in Lviv on parenting support.

During the first days of war, we set up child-friendly spaces in temporary, short- or medium-term reception centers for internally displaced persons (IDPs). We offered psycho-social support to children, their parents, and the people taking care of them (relatives, teachers, etc.) to help them cope with the trauma of war, together.

Child-friendly spaces were set up in some schools, too. Around 100 teachers and educators were recruited to organize recreational activities in 17 areas in Kharkiv, Sumy, Vysokyi, Romny, and Pisochyn. All of them were provided with educational and leisure materials (board games, toys, and sporting equipment).

Schools have been closed all over the country. Therefore, we distributed learning material for distance education, but for many children, especially in rural areas, also attending lessons online proved to be difficult due to power outages and the lack of internet connection. We set up, where possible, Digital Learning Centers and organized educational activities in safe learning areas.

We supported teachers by providing incentives to volunteers, along with specific training on psycho-social support and on helping children and teenagers cope with war trauma.

We have been involved in light rehabilitation of school facilities with a focus on equipping bomb shelters.