Mentoring Program Continues Despite War
American author and disability rights activist Helen Keller once said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” In the last 263 days of war in Ukraine, we have seen an immense amount of suffering firsthand, but we have also witnessed an even greater amount of resilience and strength from the people of Ukraine. And while much of our efforts are currently dedicated to humanitarian aid and survival, our team continues to work and adapt to ensure our core programs continue despite the challenges of war.
Kidsave’s Core Work in Ukraine
Kidsave first began working in Ukraine in 2016 as part of a larger effort to reform Ukraine’s child welfare system. In the early 2010s, there were more than 100,000 children labeled as “orphans” or “children deprived of parental care” living in institutions, orphanages, and boarding schools across Ukraine. The children spent years growing up in these crowded institutions, and then, when they turned 18, they were sent out into the world with little education, limited social skills, and no support system.
To help address these issues and create positive change, Kidsave started two programs in Ukraine: Family Mentoring and the Corporate Mentoring program Pathway to Success.
The Family Mentoring program focused on moving children out of these crowded institutions and back into families. In instances where the children were social orphans or children deprived of parental care because of poverty, our team connected the families with the resources and support they needed to welcome the children back into their homes. In instances where the children were true orphans or were unable to return to their biological parents, our team used Kidsave’s innovative Family Visit Model to find new adoptive families for the children.
The Corporate Mentoring program, Pathway to Success empowers young people to build healthy, productive, independent lives by connecting them to caring adult mentors who will help them succeed. This program helps older kids and teens plan for their futures and gain the skills and connections needed to reach their goals. Our team helps them understand their career interests, increase their confidence to enter the workforce and society, increase their motivation and readiness to work, and support their basic understanding of money management. At its core, this program works to help these teens navigate their futures and support them in ways they have never experienced before.
Adapting During War
Like millions of others, our world changed on February 24, 2022. When Russia invaded Ukraine, we knew we had to act to get the orphans and children to safety. Under the leadership of Pavlo Shulha and in cooperation with the Ombudsman for the Protection of Children, our team began evacuating orphanages and institutions in Mykolaiv to safety in western Ukraine. Since that day, our efforts have grown to include humanitarian aid distribution and nationwide rescue and evacuation operations. So far, our Angels of Hope have delivered over 700 tons of humanitarian aid and have rescued nearly 30,000 people. We are incredibly proud of this life-saving effort, but through all of this, we have remained committed to our core programs in Ukraine.
Despite the immense challenges the war has brought, our team has continued to provide mentoring and support to 50 teenagers in the Kyiv region. These young people are able to connect with caring adults and mentors in their community by participating in fun events, service days, and volunteering. The mentors provide the youth with support and guidance as they get to know one another in a safe, neutral environment. These young people have spent much of their lives as one of many children living in an orphanage or institution, so it can take time for them to become accustomed to receiving one-on-one attention. These interactions and the relationships built from them help boost the youth’s confidence and help them develop a sense of self and social skills.
This year, our kids and mentors participated in World Kindness Day, where they worked together to prepare and distribute food kits to the elderly and those in need. During this day of service, the group had conversations about what it means to share love with others and about what love means to them. The event was a huge hit with both the kids and their mentors!
One participant, a 15-year-old boy, named Dima, said, “Today was wonderful! I really enjoyed helping out and spending the day in such a great way. I’m grateful to everyone who made today possible.”
Dima has been an active participant in the Pathway to Success program and has developed a relationship with a mentor named Artem. When asked about Dima’s progress, Artem said, “Dima is a very talented kid! He lacks self-confidence, but he is very open and kind.”
In addition to mentorship and job training, our team has also been connecting the youth with resources such as trauma therapy and programs for young people affected by conflict and war. We intend to expand the implementation of trauma therapy once the Kidsave Miracles Center is established in western Ukraine.
Learn more about the Kidsave Center and our humanitarian efforts in Ukraine at www.kidsave.org/standwithukraine/.
