A Joyful Place Where Young Children Can Thrive In Wartime Ukraine

Forbes

5 hours ago

For children too young to remember what life was like before the war, UNICEF-supported classes provide a source of hope and community in southeastern Ukraine.
From left: Six-year-old twins Viktoriya and Artem play with their cousin Margo, 5, in a UNICEF-supported developmental class in the village of Petropil, Zaporizhzhia oblast, southeastern Ukraine.
Victoria and Artem have barely been able to contain their excitement all morning, asking their mother, Iryna, the same question over and over: 'Mom, Mom, when are we going to kindergarten?'
The days when the 6-year-old twins attend early learning classes are always special. Their local kindergarten in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region has been operating online for the past three years due to safety concerns during the ongoing war. Now children are able to attend developmental sessions at a local facility, with support from UNICEF and the Association of Preschool Educators.
The two-hour sessions take place twice a week. Since they began last year, the gatherings have become a bright spot providing comfort, socialization and stability for children amid air raid sirens and war-induced isolation. Importantly, they also provide crucial opportunities for cognitive skills development, including language development and broader childhood growth.
From left: Six-year-old twins Viktoriya and Artem play with their cousin Margo, 5, in a UNICEF-supported developmental class in the village of Petropil, Zaporizhzhia oblast, southeastern Ukraine.
Every child needs a safe place to play and learn
'Since attending these sessions, I've seen very positive changes in the children,' says Iryna, the twins' mother. 'They've started communicating more, speaking better and feeling less afraid. It fills them with excitement — and me with joy.'
Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, Iryna has faced the daily challenge of ensuring her children's safety and emotional well-being. Zaporizhzhia, a major industrial city in southeastern Ukraine, has endured constant attacks. In the early days of the fighting, with the windows boarded up with sheets of plywood, Victoria and Artem clung tightly to their mother.
They sheltered in place with Iryna's sister Olena, and her 5-year-old daughter, Margo.
'We didn't leave the house. It was terrifying — curtains drawn, doors shut, windows covered, lights off. The children couldn't sleep. They were too afraid to go to the toilet alone, afraid to sleep without a light on.' 'The air raid sirens were constantly wailing and the children started sleeping with us," says Olena. "We didn't leave the house. It was terrifying — curtains drawn, doors shut, windows covered, lights off. The children couldn't sleep. They were too afraid to go to the toilet alone, afraid to sleep without a light on.'
Surrounded by shelling, Olena and Iryna decided to flee the city for a nearby village, so that the children could sleep peacefully without waking up to explosions outside the window.
'The war has divided everything into before and after,' says Olena, who also takes Margo to the developmental sessions twice a week.
'We swapped everything familiar for everything unfamiliar," she says. "The city for a village, our home for rather cramped living conditions. But here, we are farther from the front line. And, thank God, the children haven't once come under shelling here.'
Ms. Iryna, the classroom teacher, watches as the children play.
The war in Ukraine has taken a terrible toll on children's social and emotional well-being
Although both Olena and Iryna have done their best to shield their children from the devastating impact of the war, it has taken an emotional toll. The twins and Margo became fearful and withdrawn. They were afraid to sleep alone and even started drawing only in black.
According to a survey published by UNICEF, one in five children in Ukraine reported losing a close relative or friend since the war escalated three years ago. Sadly, this includes the twins.
'They are little, but they understood that everything had changed, that there was danger,' says Iryna. 'And when my brother, their godfather, was killed, they understood everything.'
Learn more about how UNICEF helps children in Ukraine cope with trauma
A childhood development classroom in the village of Petropil, Zaporizhia region, Ukraine.
Playing together helps children learn to forge connections with others
Online kindergarten could not solve the problem of isolation. Homework quickly became tedious, and a tablet screen is no substitute for real friends or active play.
'Since the war began, there have been fewer opportunities — fewer clubs, and the ones that do exist aren't free,' says Olena. 'And you have to search for them. We're having a wonderful time here [at the preschool], and the children are part of a social environment. We're truly very happy.'
The women noticed a change in the moods of Margo, Victoria and Artem almost immediately after the learning sessions began. Even the children's drawings were once again filled with bright colors.
'At the sessions, they're friendly, they hug, they play. And they learn very quickly here.'The children's teacher, Ms. Iryna, says, 'I can clearly see how these sessions not only help children develop, but also give them a sense of safety and support. They're beginning to believe once more in the stability and joy of childhood.'
'At the sessions, they're friendly, they hug, they play,' adds Olena, for whom the program also frees up a bit of time. 'And they learn very quickly here. I see that Margo has started doing more on her own. She doesn't ask for help as often and is already taking responsibility.'
Olena hugs her 5-year-old daughter, Margo.
A focus on the future
Olena says that her family and Iryna's are now focusing on their future. Soon, the younger children will be ready for first grade, and a new underground school has just opened in the village.
'This project has shown us just how important it is for children to be part of a group," Iryna says. "Yes, they see that the war goes on, but they also see other children. They see that life goes on too. And it's a chance to see bright moments even in dark times.'
'Yes, they see that the war goes on, but they also see other children. They see that life goes on too.' Thanks to cooperation between the Association of Preschool Education Workers NGO and UNICEF, as well as the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Government of Spain and the UNICEF National Committee in Switzerland, more than 220,000 children across Ukraine have attended these vital preschool sessions for a period of at least several months since 2023.
Learn more about UNICEF's impact for children after more than three years of full-scale war in Ukraine.
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
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