Psychosocial support hub for children affected by war opened in Kyiv
Pravda Ukraine
Litokryl, a hub aimed at psychosocial support for children affected by the war, has opened its doors in Kyiv. The centre provides free psychological counselling to children, as well as their parents and guardians.
Litokryl is the third such hub opened by the RescueNow charity foundation
Two hubs are already operating in Kharkiv and the third started its work in Kyiv in partnership with the Never Give Up humanitarian fund. It is designed primarily for families who were forced to flee their homes due to the war and start a new life in unfamiliar cities.
“Many families fled from the occupied territories or from explosions. Now they have to adapt to life in a big foreign city, find a job, go to school or kindergarten, and make new friends. It is difficult not only for the parents but also for children, who often cannot express to mom and dad what they really feel after what they have experienced,” says project curator Olha Kabanets.
The space has three rooms; two of them are designed for group classes and another for psychological sessions.
All classes are scheduled hourly, taking into account the number of children and age characteristics: groups from 4 to 7 years, 8-11 and 12-16 years.
During games, art and fairy-tale therapy, the project team helps children relieve tension and distract them from psychological trauma.
Every week there are various master classes: theatre studios, mixed martial arts, origami, plasticography, cooking, and a media school for studying television and recording children’s news.
For the youngest, there are classes on preparing for school aimed at logic, memory and attention.
“Since the vast majority of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) do not seek psychological help and experience everything on their own, they are assisted by qualified psychologists who work with the anxiety and depression of children and parents in groups and individually,” the hub said.
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