Three-year project starts: how we helped 1,997 children

2025 marks the first year of a three-year project (2025–2027) funded by the Hasso Plattner Foundation. The project aims to improve the psychosocial wellbeing, educational outcomes and protection of vulnerable children in Ukraine, while strengthening local service capacity to ensure sustainable impact beyond the funding period.

Reach and Outputs (2025)

• 1,997 children reached
  • Direct: 1,397 children
  • Using equipped community spaces: 600 children
• Key services delivered:
  • Psychosocial support: 200 children
  • Tutoring: 52 children
  • Aid with social work: 112 children
  • Youth empowerment training: 189 children
  • Creative activities: 335 children
  • Drama and career-orientation workshops: 509 children
• 57 specialists, tutors and career mentors trained
• 7 public interactive spaces for children equipped and in use

Strengthening Local Systems

• Productive cooperation established with local governments in multiple regions
• 3 social workers embedded in local services in Lviv region

Outcomes and Early Impact

In 2025, the primary focus was on launching activities and establishing systems for outcome measurement. Since September 2025, outcome monitoring shows:

• 141 children demonstrating measurable positive changes in emotional wellbeing and resilience
• Average success rate >91 % across assessed activities
• Strong outcomes particularly in psychosocial interventions, group workshops and social work with families in difficult circumstances
• Education outcome tracking launched; results expected to become visible in 2026

Implementation and Learning:

• Most participation targets were met or exceeded
• High demand for tutoring and psychosocial support led to adaptive use of resources to maximise impact without compromising quality
• Local government departments can still build their capacity to provide increased services for children

Lives changed for the better

These examples show how lives, and hope, are already being rebuilt.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

“I used the breathing and grounding exercises before a test at school, and it really helped me calm down. I felt more focused and less scared than usual.” — Yuliia

“Before the training, it was hard for me to talk about my feelings. Now I understand them better and know what to do when I feel anxious. I even started thinking that I would like to study psychology in the future.” - Maria

Strengthening Local Services for Safer Families

Life was difficult for the three young girls in Family Y. Their father was unemployed, and in desperation their mother turned to alcohol. The family had no indoor toilet, shower, or hot water, and the youngest child was not enrolled in kindergarten. Sadly, around 1.5% of children in Ukraine enter state care due to family insecurity.

With this project we could employ a social worker, Oksana, and strengthen local services with vital training and resources. With Oksana’s guidance the father found work, the mother is receiving therapy, and the family spends more positive time together. A new bathroom has improved daily life, and the youngest girl is now in school!

From 2026, Oksana will be employed by local government to continue supporting at-risk families. We will maintain training and supervision in the three communities from 2025 and have expanded into three more for 2026, so we can reach even more children in need.

Children shape the future! We are thankful for every support
that enables us to help children in Ukraine.